Boundless
by PsychicWonderKitty
Summary: She is Astrid Hofferson, a chieftain's daughter set to marry a ruthless warlord for her tribe's sake. He is a nameless boy, a slave to the same brutal man for nearly all his young life. Only with each other will they find true friends, true freedom…and maybe even true love. *Fully pre-written, slightly AU chapter-fic with regular updates; Hiccstrid pairing and peril!*
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: New fic, new fandom to write for…same old song. I don't own these characters or this subject matter except for a few original creations – all the rest belongs to DreamWorks and Cressida Cowell. No copyright infringement is intended!

SPOILERS: The action and character history in this story – save for some very basic elements – is considerably AU…as long as you know the major and some secondary players in the HTTYD universe, you're good to go.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **Boundless**

SUMMARY: _She is Astrid Hofferson, a chieftain's daughter set to marry a ruthless warlord for her tribe's sake. He is a nameless boy, a slave to the same brutal man for nearly all his young life. Only with each other will they find true friends, true freedom…and maybe even true love._

 **Prologue**

"Checkmate."

The old soldier to whom the word was addressed scowled angrily, first at the Maces and Talons board on which his chief piece now sat surrounded by his opponent's hunters, then at the opponent himself before remembering his place in life…thankfully before any of his displeasure was noticed. "Ah, yes…well done as always, sire. Care for another round?"

The victor, far younger of a man than the soldier at only twenty-two years of age, but also far more _powerful_ of a man stroked his well-groomed dark goatee as he pondered his answer. "Tempting…but I'll have to decline. My brother is due back any minute now from his journey, I do believe."

"Actually...I'm back already."

"Speak of the devil," the soldier muttered what he hoped was inaudibly under his breath.

"Ah, brother." The young man rose from his chair and began to approach the new arrival, only to pause in his steps when he saw his elder sibling hadn't come alone. "And what, pray tell, do we have here…?"

Standing at 6'3" and bulging with muscle, the slightly older man cut an imposing figure unlike his younger brother, who – though he was approximately the same height – wasn't close to being as brawny…but both siblings had the same wicked glint in their eyes as they leered at the young woman who stood shivering in their shadows. The soldier, battle-hardened though he was, nearly cringed to also see an even _more_ innocent victim thrown over the massive shoulder of the elder brother like a sack of flour…and when the man carelessly shrugged his burden onto the table still supporting the Maces and Talons board – dislodging all the game pieces in the process – the soldier was helpless to hold back an unsettled shudder.

The boy was small – so tiny in fact that he nearly _fit_ on the game board entirely – and clearly very, very young. Tousled auburn hair partially hid his eyes, which were closed in what the soldier dearly hoped was only unconsciousness. His porcelain skin was dotted all over in freckles, one cluster on his left cheek nearly made invisible by a vicious bruise that his captor had no doubt inflicted upon him – probably with great satisfaction knowing the man's mile-long sadistic streak.

"Little runt bit me," said brute spoke up as if reading the soldier's mind, though he was talking to his younger sibling. "It was a knee-jerk reaction."

"No need to explain yourself to me, brother," came the apathetic response. "At least…not regarding that. I _would_ like to know, however, exactly why you brought this extra…" The dark-haired man looked distastefully at the young woman who was now screaming behind her gag. " _Baggage_ , I suppose would be a proper term, along with you. Surely you could've found their weight in far more valuable things...after all, it's not like the weight would've been too difficult to match, considering the sheer _lack of it_ from one side." Cold brown eyes pinned the unaware child with a steely glare.

"And here you're supposed to be the smart one," the older sibling laughed, tapping a finger to his clean-shaven head. "You of all people know how I love my riches and plunder, brother, but alas…" Wisps of red hair fluttered from the man's exhaled sigh, his face now so close to that of the captive woman's that she could barely breathe, fear silencing her muffled protests and settling thickly in her throat. "There are some things," the bulky man traced a stubby finger down her tear-stained cheek, "that even money can't buy."

"A _woman_?" The younger didn't even try to contain his scorn. "Brother, surely you—"

" _Staying power_!" the elder cut him off. "A dynasty…" He held the woman's chin and stared into her horrified eyes, beautiful and vibrant emerald clashing with his dull, muddy brown. "An heir."

"I _beg_ your pardon?" the outraged reply sounded. " _I_ am the heir to this—"

" _Another heir_ , brother mine… _another_ heir," the older man interrupted again. "Don't get your tunic in a tangle. I know you'll make a fine chief after me if the need ever comes, but what _if_ it actually does…and moreover, comes sooner than expected like before? Like it did for _me_?" The elder sibling turned away from the woman to grasp the younger by the shoulders. "Thank the gods I had you when it was my time to step up…my loyal little understudy waiting in the wings, the brains behind my brawn…" The older man fixed a pointed gaze on his brother. "But who would _you_ have?"

The old soldier had never seen such a wave of concern come over the younger of the two siblings; normally the man was as unflappable as the day was long. So perplexed was he now, though, that he didn't even notice the woman had again started shouting behind her gag, her green gaze locked on the tiny form of her son still lying limp on the table – a literal pawn on the game board.

" _Shut up_!"

Apparently, the soldier wasn't the only one to think in such terminology.

"You don't shut up right now, and I'll take your pretty little boy over there and string 'im up as bait in a dragon trap, you understand me?!"

The woman instantly silenced herself at the older sibling's furious threat, fresh tears spilling while she kept staring at her son in terror, as if imagining that very scenario.

The brute smirked cruelly at his own success. "And that, dear brother, is why I didn't throw the useless little whelp into the ocean." He walked over to the table and, eyes on the boy's mother, gave the silky russet mop on the child's head a mocking ruffle. "He has a very important use after all, turns out."

The soldier, unable to do anything to help the captives for fear of execution on the spot, watched as the cloud of confusion cleared from the younger sibling's dark eyes just as quickly as it had it come…he knew this would mean nothing good for the woman and her son. Slow, calculating footsteps echoed through the room as the man came to stand beside his elder brother.

"You know," he began, placing a well-manicured hand on his sibling's muscled shoulder, "you don't know how correct you are about that. I just…highly doubt it's the use you have in mind."

"Oh…?" One of the older man's bushy eyebrows rose. "What are you getting at?"

"Something you've actually _already_ gotten at, brother…you're absolutely right." The younger ignored the man's look of surprise at the uncommon accolade. "We _do_ need another heir in line after me, if only just to keep the other tribes believing our lineage is here to stay…but I'd wager you're no more keen on wedded attachment than I am. Especially attachment to a…" he snorted haughtily, " _working class_ woman like this."

"Hel, no," came the disgusted reply. "But it's not like I need to marry her, I only need to—"

" _You need_ to remember your place!"

"Oh, do I?" The biting reprimand was met with a heavy, arrogant scoff. "Last I checked, I was _chief_!"

"Exactly," the younger sibling hissed back, undeterred. "Which means, in the case of an heir, bureaucracy must win over barbarism. You present an heir without presenting a wife and this tribe will be shamed, as will our name!" Cold brown eyes bored into their twin counterparts. "Should I ever become chief…I _refuse_ to have my legacy sullied with an illegitimate heir."

"Then how do you suggest you or I get a legitimate one _minus_ the unwanted wife?" the elder brother snapped…and the soldier watched in secret trepidation as a sly smirk stretched across the younger's face.

"There won't be any need for that."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," the other man continued on despite the elder's incredulous reply. "A woman won't be necessary in this equation. Rather than starting from scratch, why not claim to have what we should've _already_ had…and thus also have a three, maybe four-year head-start instead?"

Those same brown eyes now turned to hold the little boy in a scheming gaze, and the old soldier had it figured out before the elder brother could even be admonished to "do the math". Four years ago, the brothers' chieftain father and heavily pregnant mother had both perished in a dragon raid…and by the looks of it, that was about how long ago – give or take no more than a year – that the presently captive child had been born.

"Remember, brother…" Apparently, the elder was taking too long to catch on. "Remember that for all anyone else knows, Mother actually gave birth to our poor unfortunate sibling before she died."

The soldier winced inwardly; it was true. After the tragic demise of the former chief and his wife, their sons had risen to power ruthlessly and immediately, with one of the elder's first orders of business being to forbid disclosure on anything other than the simple cause of their parents' deaths…including the fact that their unborn sibling had remained just that – forever unborn. No one outside the tribe knew what had happened before, during, or after…only that one day there was one chief and the next day there was another, with dragons being to blame.

"Yes, you see," the younger sibling continued. "Our dear, newborn baby brother survived the attack, and we as his protective guardians have just been _waiting_ until the right time to reveal the traumatized boy." The smile that spread above his neatly trimmed beard was wide and sinister. "What if…that time has come?"

It was another moment or two before realization finally dawned on the older sibling's face, and the soldier knew then that the young woman and her son had no chance for escape. Powerless to save them from their fate and despondent in this knowledge, he cast one last sad look at the achingly small boy and an apologetic look at the mother before trudging out of the room.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Stop struggling!" came the older man's growl, his iron grip locked around the woman's frail wrist as he dragged her toward the forge. "The more you fight, the worse we'll make it hurt for _him_!"

The younger brother smiled; he had to admire his sibling's forceful manner when it came to delivering threats, not to mention his accuracy…the man knew how to strike where it would wound the deepest. Nothing could've been more precious to that woman, it was clear, than the tiny little life he now held carefully in his arms, the bones pressing against his chest as fragile as a bird's. Of course, his plan would require some work down the line…if his current weight and the frame of his mother were anything to go by, the boy would grow up practically a wisp compared to him and his brother, doubtlessly creating suspicions as to whether they were really related. Not to mention the hair color and the skin complexion…but he was a patient, smart man. He would improvise when the time came.

"How's the runt doing?" his brother interrupted his musings, looking over his shoulder as they approached the forge door.

"Snug as a bug in a rug." He chuckled at the woman's increased muffled yelling; no doubt she was shouting something along the lines of 'get your filthy hands' – though his hands were _never_ filthy, _thank_ _you very much_ – 'off my baby, you monster!' He shrugged, jostling the boy and smiling at the sway he held over her…she had no power here.

"Shut up and _get in there_!" his brother raged, giving the young mother a violent shove into the darkened space, save for the orange glow that came from a setup of burning charcoals in the back. "Remind me again why we're keeping this _banshee_?" the elder grumbled under his breath, prompting him to give a conniving wink to the man in reply.

"Future leverage."

"Fine, then," the other sibling relented after a pause, shaking his bald head as he stalked inside after the woman. "Close and barricade the door!"

 _This_ order was directed to him instead, and the younger sniffed. He would obey, but his oaf of a brother had damn well better know not to get used to it. He did the deed, then watched with the child still in his arms as his sibling put his snarling face directly into the young mother's wet, blotchy one.

"You resist what's about to happen in ANY way, and your baby boy is dead. Are we clear?"

The threat was simple, direct to the point, and the younger man smirked as the woman nodded shakily. _It's not like she knows my plan is practically life insurance for her son_ …

His older sibling then took a fistful of her bright ginger hair in one hand, a wickedly sharp knife in the other, and carelessly sliced through the strands. He repeated the process until vivid color littered the dirt floor beneath them, only still stuck to her head now in short, grotesquely patchy clumps. Nothing could be heard but sobbing and the hissing of heated metal as the older man then removed the branding iron from the hot coals…within seconds, those sounds transformed into bloodcurdling keens that were only confined by the sodden piece of cloth between her teeth, accompanied by the sizzling of burning flesh.

"Good girl," his brother mockingly cooed, patting the side of her shorn head just above the approximately thumbprint-sized new area of angry red, still slightly smoking skin that would soon enough harden to show their trademark skull emblem. " _Verrry_ good girl…you're all done."

It was his turn now to step up. "Excellent," he replied, laying his feather-light burden gently down on a workbench. "Shall I prepare the boy?"

An unearthly shriek sounded then from behind the woman's gag, and her desperate lurch forward was only stopped by his older brother's powerful arms and his equally powerful threat.

"NO! The rule still stands, woman!" He viciously spun her around to stare into her wild emerald eyes. "You stay still, the branding iron lands where it's supposed to. You _don't_ , and it goes straight down his scrawny. Little. Throat. _Understood_?!"

It was clear she did. The woman went limp in the steely grasp, and the younger man took that as his cue to lower the left shoulder of the little boy's loose tunic, exposing the tiny joint along with the baby-soft, lightly freckled skin over his heart. _It's a good thing our brand is small in size…_

"Hmm…experimenting, are we?" his elder sibling mused. "The runt doesn't get to match mommy dearest, here?"

"Not this time," came the unemotional answer. "I wish to send a different message with the boy's brand…a deeper kind of _ownership_." He placed two fingertips on the child's delicate chest, smiling as he felt the fluttering heartbeat beneath the digits. "Just trust me, brother…right here is perfect placement."

"If you say so," the other man shrugged, leaving the mother to approach his second victim and finish the job. "Then so it'll be…"

The woman's screams reached a new, nearly impossible volume as the older brother pressed the still-hot tip of the branding iron onto the pale flesh, only this time it was joined by a shrill, ear-piercing cry as the boy woke from his unconsciousness to unimaginable pain, jerking away from the source of it as best as his little body could manage. The younger sibling caught the boy from falling off the workbench by the back of his tunic with one hand and held him there as the child kicked and thrashed and screeched his lungs out.

His older brother dropped the branding iron with a clang and came around to intercept, pressing the squirming bundle against his chest and practically _suffocating_ all the air that the boy had left to keep making the awful racket right out of him. When the noise had devolved into helpless whimpers and hiccoughs, the older brother finally held the boy out to inspect, and the younger came around to have a look as well.

Big, beautiful green eyes stared into theirs. Just like his mother's.

 _Well,_ those _will certainly have to be covered somehow whenever we present him as our own blood…_

For now, though, their work was done. The boy and his mother were both officially theirs, and the siblings shared chilling grins.

"Ah…one to be a slave in body, the other to be a slave in mind and especially in _heart_. Well done, dear big brother."

"Likewise. This should last us for years to come, keep our name feared across the entire archipelago while also keeping us happy bachelors."

"That it should…but possibly not forever. Children do become adults and develop minds of their own, you are aware."

"Oh? And then what?"

"It's no matter…the day the boy outgrows his usefulness in keeping our lineage going, we go out and find someone _else_ we can use if need be," he placated the elder. "Who can tell…I may even be ready to settle by that point."

A loud guffaw met his ears in response. "And what a lucky woman _that'll_ be…" the older man grinned. He then gave a cheeky wink to the mother now doubled over in physical and emotional agony, followed by a confident look to his sibling, and finally a possessive look to the terrified young boy that he held in a cruel grip by his upper arms, huge hands encircling the tiny body entirely. "Until then…"

The younger man gave a satisfied smile when the rest of the sentence seemed to echo within the small space, as if reaffirming all the good fortune that was sure to result from his brilliant plan in the years to come.

"…welcome to your new home, baby brother."

TBC…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: Greetings, fellow HTTYD lovers…welcome to the story! I have journeyed from afar from the _Supernatural_ fandom, and I hope you'll bear with me as I flex my writing muscles again in this entirely new one. But don't worry – I may be a HTTYD-fic newbie, but I'm no stranger to this universe because you name it – first movie, second movie, both art books, any HTTYD short, all seasons of _Riders_ and _Defenders_ – I own 'em and love 'em…or at least I co-own a Netflix account in the case of _Race to the Edge_ , haha. And if that doesn't convince you…well then, consider the fact that I dressed up as first-movie Hiccup for Halloween at work, which was quite honestly my simplest role ever (minus crafting the fur vest and the finer details of the tunic, which was _not_ simple!) as I could pretty much pass for his female doppelganger, even though I'm…well…admittedly twice his first-movie age plus two. LOL. Yep, I'll cop to that – just proof that you're never too old for awesome animation like HTTYD!

So, to _sum it up_ , as my alter-ego would say…settle in for a relatively long, slightly AU H/A fic – they're my "ship", as the cool kids might put it. And speaking of young'uns – please note, as there are obviously several of those in this fandom, I'm rating this otherwise entirely clean story ' **T** ' for violence, intense scenes, and very mild language (trust me on the mild thing, I'm not one for cuss words) akin to what you just read…if you were able to handle that, then I promise you can handle the rest!

Oh, and one more important and – if I do say so myself – rather _fun_ fact. Though this fic will hardly be a one-shot as I mentioned, _fear not_ when it comes to updates! The story is already fully written and I will post with strict adherence to the following schedule – new chapters will be released every **Sunday** , **Tuesday** , **Thursday** , and **Saturday**. May seem a little random, but I've actually carefully calculated this in order to avoid missing any updates when I go camping at the end of June…during which time I'll have absolutely no internet access! With the above schedule though, I'll be finished just in the nick of time and y'all won't be left in the lurch beyond a day or two…win-win!

So, all of that said, I hope everyone will enjoy…continue reading and even follow, favorite, and review if the spirit moves you, and I'll see 'those who stay' for the next chapter! :-)

-PWK


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: I don't own HTTYD, but I do own a certain mastery of Hiccup's "hand thing" if I do say so myself – with cats. Once you earn a feline's loyalty, there are… _some things_ they'll do for you. ;-)

SPOILERS: This fic is considerably AU, so none except a few already widely-known aspects of plot and characters are involved.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **Boundless**

PREVIOUSLY: _A loud guffaw met his ears in response. "And what a lucky woman_ that'll _be…" the older man grinned. He then gave a cheeky wink to the mother now doubled over in physical and emotional agony, followed by a confident look to his sibling, and finally a possessive look to the terrified young boy that he held in a cruel grip by his upper arms, huge hands encircling the tiny body entirely. "Until then…"_

 _The younger man gave a satisfied smile when the rest of the sentence seemed to echo within the small space, as if reaffirming all the good fortune that was sure to result from his brilliant plan in the years to come._

"… _welcome to your new home, baby brother."_

 **Chapter 1**

 _-16 years later-_

"Welcome to your new home, dearest."

Twenty-one year-old Astrid Hofferson fought a shudder of unpleasantness at the condescending words, her blue eyes glaring from underneath long, golden bangs at the village before her. _This'll_ never _be my home, you manipulative son-of-a—_

"What do you think?" Her newly minted fiancé cut into her mental insult, waiting expectantly for her answer while projecting an infuriating air of aloofness as he scraped his thumbnail against his fingernail, looking at his own action instead of at her.

"Quite impressive," she lied…somewhat. It actually _was_ impressive, substantially larger and definitely showier than her quaint-by-comparison native village, and quite a bit flatter too. She found herself for once seeing buildings without having to climb literally _countless_ – she had tried numbering them before and lost track every time – wooden steps soon after disembarking the ship on which they'd sailed away from the Isle of Berk, leaving her friends and family behind for _gods know how long it'll end up being_ …

"Isn't it, though?" the man who was only a few years from being twice her age spoke on dispassionately. "Fittingly so, especially considering the fearsome reputation of our tribe…a tribe which _you_ will soon be a part of, dearest, and not just any part. A tribe that you will rule right alongside me."

Ah, yes… _that_ tribe. The Reaper Tribe – the man wasn't exaggerating about their infamy. They were comprised of mostly warmongering men and indeed known as the most ruthless society within the Barbaric Archipelago, even bringing other ones that had such names as Murderous and Berserker to shame when it came to a thirst for blood and battle. And here she was, daughter to the chief of one of the _friendliest_ tribes out there, the polar opposite of the one she was now set to marry into.

 _But that's just it…_ she had to continually remind herself. _I'm doing this_ for _my tribe…for my people._

It had been late one strangely muggy and starless night when they came, silent as the grave, anchoring just out of sight of any of Berk's shore patrols in attack formation off the island's main port. They'd prepared under the cover of darkness and dense fog, finding the Hooligan Tribe completely _un_ prepared come morning and thereby only able to choose surrender over slaughter at their hands. The Reaper Tribe had been armed for war, marching into the village like they already owned it…but her courageous father had marched right back at them, demanding to know why they had come bearing such hostility.

Astrid remembered feeling stiff with nerves as she'd stood there with her mother, Enid, and her older brother and heir to the tribe, Erik. There _he_ had stood as well, the very embodiment of the phrase 'looks can be deceiving' with his neatly-trimmed goatee, near-manicured nails, and ever-calm demeanor – Viggo "The Hunter" Grimborn, chief of the Reapers…the man probably had more blood on his hands than the town butcher, though it she was sure it was mostly human instead of animal. Only mere feet had separated her and her family from the madman, his dark brown eyes boring into the blue ones of her father as he'd spoken the words that had come to seal her fate.

" _I do not tolerate being ignored, Chief Argo."_

Had Viggo been a fair man, he would've accepted that the oversight was not intentional. The Berkian ambassadors could've in no way foreseen the massive waterspout that blew them off course and quite nearly blew them to Valhalla, making them several days late to the scheduled treaty signing between the Hooligans and Reapers. Any other chief – even Alvin the Treacherous or Dagur the Deranged for gods' sake – would've understood that due to this extra time at sea, the vessel had run out of supplies and had to return home for the sake of its crew, Astrid's father being among them. But Viggo Grimborn was as spoiled as he was sadistic, and it was no sooner than the Berkian ship had returned when he'd decided to retaliate mere days later by sending not just _one_ of his own ships, but practically his entire armada to demand recompense.

She, unfortunately, was on Reaper Island now as that very recompense.

It had been the only way to stop an impromptu war that would've decimated the Hooligan Tribe. Viggo had been unrelenting in his anger and merciless in his demand that Berk be made to pay…it was only the word of those who had been on the ambassador ship that he had to go by, and words were not enough of a gift for him. He'd wanted to be given something tangible.

Her father, desperate to keep the peace, had offered the man everything – his finest cache of weapons, as much gold and silver as he could gather from the island, flagons of mead and wine and the choicest cuts of every type of meat, the rarest acquirements from his trading expeditions, the sturdiest of building materials…everything and anything _except_ what the man had set his eyes on.

" _How generous of you. But, as a…well,_ somewhat _wise man once told me…there are some things even money can't buy."_

Astrid would never forget – try as she definitely already had – the shiver that had wracked her body from head to toe as the man's soulless eyes had locked onto her icy blue ones, a flame of intrigue flaring in the brown depths that she had _no_ intention of ever fanning. At least she didn't at first…until the threats became too much. Her father and Viggo had argued vehemently back and forth, the former vowing he would never give his only daughter to the tyrant and the latter vowing to lay waste to Berk unless he did.

In the end, it was she who gave _herself_ away. Her father had, to his despair, had no effective comeback to her stern declaration that just as a chief protects his own, so must a chief's daughter protect _her_ own.

Even if meant sacrificing her hopes and dreams on the altar of loyalty and familial love.

"Well, don't just walk behind me in a stupor, my dear bride-to-be. We have so much to talk about and see…and you have so much to learn."

Fairy-tale, _romantic_ love was certainly no part of this equation, after all…and never would be.

"Come along now, and look alive for me."

 _Good thing I never believed in that sort of thing anyway…_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Dinner with her new fiancé that evening had been the very definition of awkward.

First of all, it hadn't helped that Astrid had inadvertently stuck her foot in her mouth straight away, casually asking Viggo when she would get to meet his younger brother. As heir to the Reapers, his name – though she couldn't quite recall it – had been thrown around enough for her to at least know of his existence. But the innocent query, asked if for no other reason than to break the ice, had ended up having the exact opposite effect…for the man's reply could not have been any more frigid.

" _Dead."_

She had sat there in stunned silence after that, several seconds passing before she finally offered a shaky-yet-sincere apology for his loss – one which he had all too promptly waved off. According to Viggo, the young heir had finally succumbed to a long illness and that was that…Astrid had looked for a shred of grief to be detected within the supposedly bereaved man's expression. Instead, she had watched a smirk grow as her future husband then found the audacity to _joke_ about it all.

" _Ah, not to worry…our tribe won't be heirless for long, will it, dear?"_

Her mental composure – not to mention her appetite – having instantly fled her at the implication, Astrid had then tried to turn her focus to the physical…but there was no comfort to be found there, either.

How ironic that was, though, since she had been practically sitting in the lap of luxury… in fact, Astrid hadn't been able to help but feel like she was in a whole different world with all the touches of obvious wealth surrounding her. Naturally, she came from a wealthy family herself with her father being chief, but Argo was a humble and generous man, preferring to live as simply as a tribal leader could and to focus on the well-being of his people rather than to flaunt his riches.

Viggo, it was obvious, could not have been more different of a ruler…but the contrast didn't stop there. Even with her butt sitting atop a plush velvet cushion, her elbows resting atop polished hardwood and a glimmering pure silver fork in one of her hands, it had been impossible to forget that the opulent building was no palace. It was actually more like a castle with its large, empty rooms… but Viggo had told her he preferred the term "fortress" instead.

 _No argument there…_ she had concluded to herself.

Now, though, she was learning that the structure wasn't _nearly_ as stone cold as the man who had built it.

"Please, master! Mercy… _mercy_!"

"SILENCE, filth! I am teaching a lesson here and you are my tool to do so! _Keep going_!"

The last command was directed to one of Viggo's soldiers, a behemoth of a bald man who towered over the gaunt form whose neck he held in an iron grip. The water in the large bucket at his feet had barely stilled again before the captive's shorn head was roughly shoved back into it, this time held under longer than all the previous times.

Astrid was sure she was about to witness a murder when the bubbles stopped…only it wouldn't have been considered murder in this tribe.

The Reapers, to no one's surprise, practiced slavery. Hel, they _thrived_ on it, along with those other old pastimes of raids, pillaging, rape, kidnapping and basically every awful thing that Berk not only didn't practice but outright condemned. She couldn't help but wonder where the poor soul now vomiting up brackish water into the grass – his head _finally_ pulled from the bucket for the last time – hailed from…maybe the mainland, maybe an island she had visited sometime in her life, maybe even from the edge of the world as far as she knew.

 _I doubt the guy himself even knows anymore…_

But it wasn't like it mattered one way or the other. The man was a slave, hair cruelly cut from his head and signature skull brand probably a part of his skin for longer than his aged wrinkles had even been. He was a possession rather than a person, not to be acknowledged in any other way by someone of her standing. She remained silent as the old man was dragged away back to the slave barracks, only glancing briefly at Viggo as he came to stand next to her.

"So…have you learned your lesson, dearest?"

This time, Astrid did fully turn to stare at him. "Excuse me?"

Viggo chuckled in response to her bemused tone of voice. "Oh, you thought that the lesson was for the slave, didn't you." It wasn't a question. "No, dear…I decided that you needed to be, well, _initiated_ shall we say into a certain facet of life in your new home. Unlike Berk, slavery is alive and well here on Reaper Island…and this is a serious mental adjustment for which you will need to allow. It's not a pretty business." He patted her shoulder condescendingly, ignoring the way she nearly jerked it away from him. "I figured when it came to this, the sooner we started the better."

Too many thoughts were swirling in Astrid's head by then to come up with any sort of witty reply. In fact, she was confused as to what she even _should_ think – whether she should fight back, whether she should give in…reject or accept, rebel or cooperate…

 _I'm doing this for my tribe, I'm doing this for my tribe… But my tribe doesn't even_ believe _in this sort of thing, am I betraying them by letting myself be conditioned to it without protest? Or would I be betraying them if I_ didn't _try to take to any of this…gods help me._

"Well, then…lesson learned, I guess." She suppressed a shiver as Viggo practically _purred_ an approval to her half-hearted statement.

 _Gods help me…_

Viggo didn't try to stop the girl as she then abruptly turned and walked away, almost zombie-like, from his side. It was a lot to absorb in one evening, after all…he was just glad that this final demonstration of how things were to be had seemed to penetrate through her hard shell. He would not have a wife who was unwilling to assert her authority over those beneath her, no more than he would have one who didn't respect _his_ authority. Thankfully so far, Astrid Hofferson seemed to be the perfect package – reputable, respectful… _not to mention quite beautiful if I valued that sort of thing…_

"What are you smiling about, there, Chief?"

The question from his loyal captain of the guard, now returned from dropping the slave back in its pen, only made his grin grow wider. He was about to have a reason for happiness to match his own, once Viggo told him the good news… "Oh, nothing much, Scythe, my good fellow…only the realization and affirmation that I couldn't have chosen any more wisely. She's perfect."

"The blonde girl? _I'll_ say she is—"

" _Don't_ get any ideas of _that_ sort." Viggo didn't appreciate the lustful edge that had entered the man's tone. "My future bride is entirely off-limits to all but me," he darkly asserted. "Any other woman you are more than welcome to, but not her."

"What _other_ woman is there?!" The soldier's tone was practically whiny in comparison, especially for such a brute of a man. "Either they're already claimed or already used…I want an _unspoiled_ conquest, and I don't want to wait till the next raid!"

"Then that is unfortunate for you…but, as it is not my problem, I suggest you come up with an alternative way to entertain yourself." The Hunter's words were biting and unsympathetic, but nonetheless they seemed to inspire Scythe rather quickly, his stony grey eyes suddenly lighting up with an idea.

"Oh, I've got someone in mind who could make for some damn good entertainment," he grinned briefly before grimacing shortly after. "Problem is, I'm sure that little _pet,"_ he spat the word, "of yours is still equally off-limits, too, as it's—"

"Not anymore," Viggo promptly interrupted, amusement creeping onto his countenance now despite himself as he watched Scythe's scar-ridden face transform from indignation into shock. "I've just declared… _open season_ , if you will."

"Come again?" The man's growing excitement was palpable. "You mean it's all over—with the—we can—?"

"It is, that's the one, and you may," the chief succinctly replied as he examined his nails. "Like I said, the girl is perfect…a fish I don't intend to throw back. So…"

"Out with the old, in with the new?" Viggo couldn't help but chuckle at the soldier's decisive completion of his sentence, and he nodded in agreement.

"Couldn't have said it better myself…you and your men have fun now."

TBC…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: So, Viggo as chief of his own recognized tribe rather than just head of a dragon hunting enterprise, Astrid's family as the rulers of Berk, a forced marriage contract, a nasty OC…still intrigued? Are the AU elements workin' for ya thus far? I hope so! :-)

We only delve deeper into it come next chapter, and we meet a certain someone else as well…stay tuned if interested to see how that all goes down!

bigfootsmall: Since I can't reply directly to you, just wanted to thank you here and say glad you're liking it so far! Ha, I kinda think it was obvious despite my lack of names who the 'brothers' were, but it's nice to hear that method served the purpose I was intending. ;-)

As for my lone "Guest" reviewer, however: Let me just put it flat out there…give me polite, constructive criticism and I will respond graciously back with consideration for your words and approve the review, even if I may disagree with it or you may dislike something. Devolve into (caps-lock) "HATE" and negative snap-(mis)judgments like you did and, well…this is the only response you're gonna get, because I refuse to feed into that. Especially now that I see where you've already chosen to come back to this story – one you clearly already "HATE"…so to flip your most recent words, if that is the case, then I suggest you stop _clicking on it_. It does no good for me _or_ you, and life is too short to waste time on something that upsets you or to waste time trying to upset others. I have nothing further to say on the matter.

The rest of you…hope you continue to enjoy the story!

-PWK


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: I'll own HTTYD only when pigs fly – so, hey, someone get me the blueprint for that sheep launcher, I don't think it would be too far of a stretch…

SPOILERS: This fic is considerably AU, so none except a few already widely-known aspects of plot and characters are involved. Warning for some suggestive language in this chapter, nothing more though!

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **Boundless**

PREVIOUSLY: _"It is, that's the one, and you may," the chief succinctly replied as he examined his nails. "Like I said, the girl is perfect…a fish I don't intend to throw back. So…"_

" _Out with the old, in with the new?" Viggo couldn't help but chuckle at the soldier's decisive completion of his sentence, and he nodded in agreement._

" _Couldn't have said it better myself…you and your men have fun now."_

 **Chapter 2**

 _Oh, man…_

Astrid buried her face in an overly-stuffed pillow and stretched out on an overly-luxuriant bed in an overly-extravagant room…all of which now belonged to her, she mentally noted with chagrin. She was pretty sure she was on the verge of what her father's best friend and confidant – an aptly-nicknamed giant of a man known as Stoick "The Vast" Haddock – referred to as a 'two-block headache'…but unfortunately for her, there were no chunks of ice to be found in her newly-given bedroom.

She couldn't help but wonder if she'd find ice here at all, actually…Reaper Island was proving to be quite a bit warmer than her native Berk. Thus, she had shed her fur hood and even her shoulder armor and buckskin arm wrappings sometime ago, leaving just her spike-studded skirt over dark blue leggings and her burgundy sleeveless top.

Not that she exactly felt comfortable removing layers in the same building – Hel, the same _village_ – as Viggo or anything, but she supposed it was better than being drenched in sweat in front of the man.

 _Besides…eventually I'll have to let him see_ all _of me…_

Vomit nearly rose in her throat at the unwelcome, intrusive thought of her upcoming nuptials…and the events that would follow. She all but sprang from her bed, quickly re-donning her fur-edged boots and exiting the room with a need to walk off the nauseous feelings her traitorous imagination had inflicted upon her. Night had fallen, the hallways now lit only by the torches affixed to both sides of the wall in straight lines, one every twenty or so feet…an actual efficient setup as she could easily see where she was going.

 _Knowing_ where she was going was another matter…but ultimately one she shrugged off. It was nice to explore for the first time without the unctuous presence of Viggo by her side. She descended the first set of stairs she saw, having already seen most of the floor her room was on and finding nothing of interest. The majority of the first floor save for the dining area, however, was uncharted territory – the _chief's_ territory – but she wasn't worried since Viggo had gone to attend to business elsewhere, informing her to not expect him back for a couple hours before he had left a short while ago. It was hard to tell what a man such as he got up to after dark, and for the time being, she was hard-pressed to care.

The faint shouting she heard from a ways down the corridor in which she now walked, however, _did_ pique her concern.

 _What the…? That doesn't sound good…_

Cautiously, she approached the room at the end of the hall…besides the noises of what sounded like distress, there was also light emanating from it. Reaching her destination and peering around the doorframe, she was met with the odd sight of three men with their backs to her – Viggo's soldiers she assumed from their armored, brawny bodies – crowding around something she couldn't yet get a glimpse of. If the jeers and hearty laughs of the men were any indication, it was something tease-worthy…maybe they were playing some game and one of them was losing embarrassingly, or maybe they had an animal or— _oh_.

 _Oh, gods…_

The middle soldier had stepped out of line now, enough to reveal the subject of the men's taunts to Astrid's prying eyes. It was another man, clad in a threadbare, light green tunic and dark green leggings instead of polished armor – much slighter and much younger than any of his companions it appeared…and if it wasn't obvious from his hunched over position on his knees that he wasn't a willing participant in whatever was going on, then the fact that his hands were tied behind his back was more than enough to clarify.

 _What in the world…?_ "HEY!" The sight of the burliest soldier giving a solid and resounding slap to the mouth of their protesting victim was finally enough to propel Astrid into action. "What do you think you're doing?!" A thrill of satisfaction ran through her at the way all three brutes whipped around to face her, surprised looks on their ugly faces. The young man, however, chose to keep his head lowered, a thick mop of messy reddish-brown hair obscuring any identifying features from view.

"Lady Hofferson," one soldier began. "We didn't mean to disturb you, we were only—"

"Torturing some poor person?" Astrid cut off sharply, cringing in disgust when the second soldier nearly spat at the bowed shape within touching distance of him in reply to her accusation.

"Person?" He roughly pulled his victim closer by the ragged burlap strip the boy wore as a belt, tone dripping with incredulity. "With all due respect, ma'am, this ain't no person we've got 'ere…it's _property_!"

The lead soldier finally stepped up at this to prevent a shouting match, and Astrid vaguely recognized him as Viggo's captain of the guard. "Now now, Mort…" His deep voice commanded attention. "You can't blame Lady Hofferson here for being so misinformed…who would know what this boy is just by looking at him? I mean the hair alone…" The man fingered a longish auburn lock in emphasis to his words, and the young captive visibly shuddered. "Plus, she likely doesn't know that Viggo gave us permission to use his _personal slave_ for a fun night."

 _Slave…?!_ Astrid thought quickly. She didn't know why all this had struck a chord within her, but somehow it had. Perhaps it was the clear fear on display from a person who, she surmised, was closer to her age than anyone else she had encountered on the island so far. Maybe it was also a seed of admiration…the fresh cuts and bruises littering all three soldiers were satisfying evidence that the boy hadn't gone down without a fight. Mostly though, she figured it was because she just couldn't stand by and watch _anyone_ be abused again, slave or no, after what had happened earlier in the evening.

No matter the reason, if this whole scenario was some kind of demented gift to these men from their chief, she couldn't put an end to it by using fake orders from Viggo against them… _Or could I…?_

"Well, guess what," she snapped back, now knowing how she was going to play this out. "Fun's over…Viggo sent me to find you because he wants you back at your posts, _immediately_. So break it up!"

"Aw, can't 'e wait a li'l longer?" came the whine of the second soldier, dull blue eyes beseeching her insincerely before they turned to the bound slave in an unsettling leer. "We 'ad plans – or at least _I_ did, mind ya – fer turnin' the boy 'ere into a man…"

 _Ohh, you_ sick _son-of-a-half-troll…_ Hearing said boy's sharp intake of breath in response to the suggestive statement set Astrid's blood to boiling. "Was my vocabulary too advanced for you…can't handle a five-syllable word?" She glowered at the dimwit who had challenged her. "Well then, let me simplify… _SCRAM_ , you damn munge-buckets, before your chief turns you all from men into _women_ for defying him!"

 _Males_ , Astrid inwardly concluded – especially stupid macho ones like the trio that were now nearly tripping over each other to exit the room – _are just too easy_. One made-up threat to that part of their anatomy and it was all over. She smirked as she came to stand after them at the threshold, watching them disappear down the hallway before she shut out any possible return with an emphatic ' _slam'_ of the door.

That done, she shifted her full attention to the bound boy with an expectation to finally see his face – no doubt it would be turned to her with an expression of sheer relief and gratitude.

She was puzzled, however, to discover that he had turned his _back_ to her instead, still slouched toward the floor and so seemingly unaware that she had to wonder if he even realized she was still in the room. _Bet the answer to that is no…_ Upon determining this to herself, she decided a little quiet observation couldn't hurt either of them.

It was obvious that the young man was still suffering from residual fear. His back heaved with the intensity of his rapid breathing, and she could see a subtle tremble running through his lean frame as well. At an initial loss on how to best approach the situation, she found her eyes and thoughts wandering from his bound hands – _looks like they used some sort of twine –_ to the fact that his shoulders were exposed, the long sleeves of the mid-thigh-length tunic he wore pushed a few inches down past them – _no doubt forcibly, damn those three pigs!_ As she drew silently closer, she could make out a generous dusting of tiny light brown dots across his fair skin, highlighted by the warm glow of a steady fire in the hearth at the back of the room. One corner of her mouth tilted up despite herself, and she couldn't have stopped the lighthearted tease that came out of it next if she'd tried.

"You keep hyperventilating like that and all those freckles are gonna pop off."

The young man's loud gasp of surprise echoed in the large space as he spun – as best as he could while still on his knees – to face her. Or, well, at least his _body_ faced her now. His head was still down though, further muffling the already indistinguishable words that began spilling from his lips.

 _Well that won't do…_ The lack of eye contact had gone on long enough, she concluded to herself. It was time to exercise some of that authority that Viggo so lauded. "Excuse me, slave, but I'm talking to you." She didn't know what had come over her at that moment, except for a slight stab of guilt at having used the 'S' word.

"Y-yes, my lady." It was practically a whisper.

"Then why are you talking to the floor instead?"

The boy flinched at the accusation and almost raised his head…but not quite. "Forgive m-me, my lady," he started. His voice was like no other she'd heard from the men on this island…sincere and shy rather than full of bluster and bravado, higher in pitch with a slight nasal twang…an overall _younger_ voice. "But slaves are n-never to look those of ruling class in the eye unless given p-permission to do so."

 _Oh…that explains things._ "Is that so...?" She sighed in exasperation as he nodded. "Fine, then…permission granted." Arms crossed over her chest, she hardened her voice into command mode. "Now, look at me."

A couple more breaths were taken before the shaggy auburn head tentatively, finally lifted and revealed a strikingly handsome face, the bangs that had blocked it from view now falling just barely into the biggest, brightest, _greenest_ pair of eyes that Astrid had ever seen. The snarky reply she had waiting died an abrupt death on her lips, and it was several long and awkward seconds before she accepted there would be no resurrecting it.

"Right…that's better." She also was pretty sure that clearing her throat had done little to mask the audibility of her gulp. She cleared it again and imagined it represented the clearing of her mind as well…strangely enough, it worked. "Now that that's settled, though, let's move on to the next issue." Forcing her eyes from his own and down to his chest, she noted a line of small, uniformly-sized, _empty_ holes in the loose neck of his tunic on both sides, solving the mystery of what the soldiers had used to tie him up. She drew a dagger from her belt and pretended not to notice the boy jumping at her sudden motion.

"Um…m-my lady? Wha—"

"Do you have some spare lacings for your tunic by any chance?" She didn't give him the opportunity to finish as she briskly moved behind him and knelt to his level.

"Uh…I c-could scrounge some up, m'sure."

"Good." She lowered her knife to the twine that tightly bound his slim wrists, her words short and snappy. "Because I'm not even attempting these knots, so you're gonna need them. _Hold still_!"

With an expert, efficient jerk of her blade, the young slave was at last free to move his half-numb arms, finally gaining enough leverage with the restored use of them to push himself to his feet. Astrid was chagrined to find that she was substantially shorter than he was – probably by at least four inches give or take! – and subsequently took out her annoyance over it on an entirely different matter.

"Before you start thanking me," she growled as she re-sheathed her knife, "let's set one thing straight. I don't know what your deal is with this whole 'my lady' thing, but let me make it perfectly clear." Her icy blue stare bore into his confused, apprehensive green one. "I am _no one's_ lady…not even Viggo's yet though I'm well-aware he likes to think otherwise…and _certainly_ not yours."

The boy's eyes widened into saucers at her vehement protest. "Oh, no no no," he quickly began to stammer, realizing his respectful addressing of her had been taken as something quite the opposite. "I don't mean it in that way, it-it's, I, uh…" His lanky arms practically flailed about as he spoke, as if all the gesticulating would affirm the sincerity of his nervous words, and Astrid found herself in an honest-to-gods _struggle_ to bite back a fit of laughter. She had never seen someone so… _animated_. "It-it just means, y'know, that I, uh… _recognize_ you as b-being someone important!" he finally finished, nearly out of breath from the effort.

A single, fine blonde eyebrow rose. "Oh…?"

"Y-yeah." One of those restless hands had made its way to the back of his head, scratching at it a couple of times before ultimately stilling within the wavy mess of collar-length reddish-brown hair…it actually seemed to help calm him a bit. "You know, like h-how you'd address a man who had authority over you as 'my lord'…it's not possessive. It's, um… _polite_."

Those big emerald eyes gave her an almost imploring look, begging for her understanding and approval of his explanation…but she would've gotten the picture even if he had gone back to staring at the floor again. "Oh… _that_ , ah…" Now _she_ was the one who was tongue-tied. "That makes total sense."

"R-really?" It was like he had no clue how to handle actual positive acknowledgement from someone of high rank and – knowing this cruel tribe – she surmised it was probably because he never got any.

"Really," she confirmed. "Still, though…I just don't care for it. I'd prefer to be called what my friends and family back home call me."

The boy had removed the one hand from his hair, now using both of them to hurriedly pull his tunic back up as it had started to slip further down his bared shoulders…nearly revealing the shameful slave mark on his chest. "O-okay…" Rattled by the close call, he focused on steadying his voice. "Um, what's that, then?"

"My first name, of course," she answered coolly, chalking his strangely panicked action up to extreme modesty and shrugging it off as she continued. "I mean, everybody's got one of those, right?" It only took a few seconds of the green gaze, blank with unfamiliarity yet somehow stricken as well, for Astrid to realize she had stuck her fur-booted foot in her mouth once again. "You…you _don't_?"

Still staring at her, the young man slowly and sadly shook his head in response. "Property, not a person, remember?" A spark of bitterness flashed in his eyes before being overtaken by despair once more. "Like you said, everybody has one…but I'm _nobody_."

"Oh…" She shuffled her feet awkwardly. "Well…I can at least tell you mine, then." She re-hardened her momentarily softened countenance. "Meaning I expect you to _use it_ from now on. It's Astrid."

 _Divine beauty…_ The words unwittingly came to the brunet's agile mind before he could stop them, but thankfully… _ohhhh so very thankfully_ , they didn't pass his lips. Not that the translation wasn't entirely fitting, of course, but the boy figured the young woman before him wasn't the type to appreciate flattery…not of that nature, at least. Maybe not of _any_ nature, actually, from what he'd seen so far. He met her crystal blue eyes with a small smile in acknowledgement of her official introduction, and when she gave one back he was helpless to fight the heated blush he could feel spreading all over his face. _Oh man…_ "hic!" _… oh, COME ON!_

Astrid, meanwhile, couldn't hold back an unsympathetic snicker as the new problem arose for the boy. She watched as the red flush grew even brighter across his freckled cheeks with each short spasm of his diaphragm, filling her with the burning need to mock him when he was at maximum unease. "That's what you get for all that hyperventilating you were doing earlier, you know." She hoped there was a sharp edge still present in her voice…she was _not_ going soft on a slave, especially not on her very first day on the island for gods' sakes! It was _high time_ they parted ways. "So have fun dealing with those, then…and try not to get yourself caught by anymore soldiers. I stuck my neck out for you in getting them to leave… _don't_ expect that to happen again."

"O-of—' _hic_!'—c-course not," the boy agreed, head instinctively lowering as his rescuer turned to go out the door…but then bravely rising again to fully face her as he caught her attention one last time. "But, um, Lady Astrid?" The young woman turned back to him mid-step, brow furrowed in impatience, but even so he swallowed the embarrassing noises coming from his mouth and his anxiety along with them; he wasn't _about_ to let her leave without finally and _firmly_ saying what needed to be said. "Thanks…I mean, you saved me when you could've just walked away, when anyone else _would've_ , so…thank you for everything."

The blonde was frozen in her tracks at the strength and solidity of the words. Gone was any trace of nervousness or uncertainty from the boy's tone, and she found herself so impressed at the composure that the previously stuttering dork had managed to gather within himself that she deemed it permissible to throw him just one more bone… _just this once more_. "Lady Astrid, huh? Seriously?"

 _But not without some teasing beforehand…_

"Oh! I—' _hic_!'… ahh…" The stutters and the spasms were back. "I just—' _hic_!'—thought th—"

"Close enough," she cut him off before an irresistible idea popped into her head, and she looked back over her shoulder at the young man mischievously as she answered him. "You're welcome, though… _Hiccup_."

"Wha…? Umm…did you just—"

"Like I said," Astrid smirked at him, "everybody's got a first name…and now so do you." But additional words slipped unbidden from her lips at a whisper as she left the room, and she could only hope he didn't hear them. She was _not_ going soft on a slave boy…she was doing this for her tribe…he was nobody to her.

" _And that means you're somebody after all…_ "

TBC…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: Ah, foreshadowing…gotta love it. Along with Hiccup, of course – much lower status in this world, but still the same sweet and adorable dork. Never change! *hearts* I hope you all enjoyed his introduction.

Everlight18: Replying here because I'm unable to directly…and now the little boy is all grown up! ;-)

Yes, I've gotta say it even surprised me in the show how bad Viggo and Ryker were…for a Y-7 rated show those were some pretty nasty and almost adultly (not a word, I know, lol) written villains! I'm glad you find them in character. And fear not, as this chapter revealed, Stoick is still alive and in Berk! Just not chief in this AU. As for Ryker's fate, though…I could give you some hints in a PM but, as tempted as I am, not in public! You'll find out in a later chapter, hehe.

Thanks for the kind words, I'm happy that you're liking the story!

Aaaaaaand now…

Guest: Okay…*deep breath*, as it appears you actually want to have discourse about this and are not simply trolling my story just to be negative, I'll respond again and I hope it settles things. First, I regret now that I deleted your first review and hence, I allowed this one to go through even though it _again_ does the thing I deleted your first review for doing. So next, let's make this said part crystal clear…and if your caps-lock was simply about emphasis rather than yelling, as you said, then I'll use it as well.

I AM NOT a sadist (though I don't think you were going quite _that_ far) OR enthusiast of sadism in ANY form. THIS implied accusation is why I didn't allow your first review to go through…not even the "hate" part. But I pointed to that lesser thing instead because I honestly didn't want to even _mention_ that implication you made, because it is SO far off-base (I don't even like to kill BUGS!) and such a harsh thing to say to someone you don't even know that I didn't want anyone else to consider the possibility. That reason, and also because I was suspicious you might be out to simply slam stories for your own enjoyment, as some "Guests" (not all, but some) tend to do. But since you do have legit questions, I will answer them and in doing so, hopefully dispel this gross misconception that you have of me as being some kind of sick person…the branding scene was not written to "glorify" anything evil. It was written, and written the way it was to: A) bring home how ruthless and cruel the villains of the story truly are and thus set that up for the rest of it, and B) for aesthetic reasons – the details were there to be consistent with the rest of my storytelling for the chapter. It's my opinion, so thereby also my MO as a writer, that details enhance story happenings and further engage the readers, so for me it would've been pretty jarring to my flow to have all those details everywhere else in the chapter but then suddenly have it be like 'oh, by the way, they're branded now.'

Mostly, though? I didn't think it would be _that_ offensive to any readers from this fandom. The rating is T, not K or K+, so as per the ratings system of this site, violence in the story is not out of bounds. Yes, I _absolutely_ agree that there is too much horror and brutality in the world, and I sincerely hate seeing or hearing about it as much as any decent person, but that is real life and real people and this is _fiction_ …and your outrage makes me question how much of it from this fandom you actually read. There are equally and FAR more graphic stories all over this fandom, and not just in one scene but throughout the entire thing…I've clicked the 'back' button more than a few times myself! But not the review button, because it was the author's prerogative to write it and it is their story…I don't _have_ to read it and if it repulses me or makes me angry, I simply don't and I move on. It is absolutely NOT my intention to upset anyone, either as an author or a reviewer…there's too much of THAT pettiness in this world as well! But to be frank, again I just didn't see it as overly graphic or gratuitous but rather just a part of the plot that both emphasizes the unpleasantness of the villains, and illustrates the direness of the situation the victims have found themselves in.

That said, everyone does have their own limits and triggers and clearly mine are different from yours…different, but not wrong. And neither are your more sensitive ones wrong. What WAS done wrong on your end was throwing out a very uncalled for personal implication against me, and what was done wrong on my end was deleting your review without addressing your concerns. But like I said, I thought you were a troll at first and that this was how you got your jollies. I think it's safe to say we both misjudged each other? Are things cleared up now, no sidestepping? Can we both keep it polite and civil from here on out if you continue to read?

Okay, whew! Sorry for the long reply, but I wanted to leave nothing to doubt this time. And I apologize for deleting your first review…thanks for at least clearing up that you didn't hate the whole story in this latest one, and thanks for the compliment on my writing. I've had kind of a rough week with receiving some bad news amongst other things, and as something to _hopefully_ improve it and distract me from the bad, I decided to FINALLY post this story that I've been sitting on (out of nervousness to post it) for nearly a YEAR now. So seeing it promptly get slammed, and then worse, my very character called into contempt was a real blow that just added to the boiling pot, and it caused me to react like I did. I promise from now on to be more tolerant of any criticism AS LONG AS you keep it constructive and polite…no more snap-judgments on my character, please? I like to think I'm a nice enough person once you get to know me, and I hope this response has helped you see the issue from my side and that it smoothes things out.

And while I can't say this story contains no more violence, because it is there, fair warning…I think I'm not wrong to say the branding scene is probably the worst one in the story, by nature of its content and victims. If you decide to stick with it, I hope you'll enjoy the rest and not be upset to such a degree again. Whether you do or don't continue reading, though, no hard feelings, please? Fanfic should be an enjoyable place of entertainment, not a battleground, so let's both call a truce, deal?

Keep the feedback and favorites coming if it be your wish, my fine fellow fans…rest assured I'll do the same with the updates! :-)

-PWK


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: I thought I'd been handed ownership to HTTYD! But when I turned the paper over to give it my signature, it only said "LOKI'D" on the back in big, bold letters…very funny, twins.

SPOILERS: This fic is considerably AU, so none except a few already widely-known aspects of plot and characters are involved..

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **Boundless**

PREVIOUSLY: _"You're welcome, though…_ Hiccup _."_

" _Wha…? Umm…did you just—"_

" _Like I said," Astrid smirked at him, "everybody's got a first name…and now so do you." But additional words slipped unbidden from her lips at a whisper as she left the room, and she could only hope he didn't hear them. She was_ not _going soft on a slave boy…she was doing this for her tribe…he was nobody to her._

" _And that means you're somebody after all…"_

 **Chapter 3**

Astrid's sleep that night had been a restless one.

Eyes closed, she had seen flashing, blurry images of her family and friends being attacked by Viggo and his soldiers, her subconscious burning Berk into cinders. Eyes open, she had seen an unfamiliar ceiling, felt unfamiliar sheets and blankets, heard unfamiliar silence resulting from the lack of her father's heavy snores…but worst of all had been the overwhelming sensation of loneliness.

By the time the first hints of dawn had begun to break in the sky, _she_ had broken herself and hastily thrown on her day clothes and armor, fleeing the room and eventually fleeing the fortress itself in an attempt to find any sort of sanctity beyond its walls.

Luckily for her, the village appeared to be mostly deserted at this time of the morning save for the guards she had run into here and there. It seemed that Viggo hadn't ordered her to be kept under lock and key as none of them appeared concerned she was out – which was a _very_ good thing, because otherwise she might've ended up fleeing the whole damn island altogether…and then her nightmare of Berk's destruction might've actually come to pass.

 _I may have to be his wife, but I will_ never _be his prisoner!_

Resolved, she found herself approaching the northern edge of the village as if to test the boundaries, even though there was no escape to be found on this end. Here, there was only a bit more land beyond the last traces of civilization before the terrain suddenly dropped off into sharp cliffs, leading to the ocean below. It somewhat reminded her of Berk, except that unlike her home, it was just this one side of the island that had such an elevated landscape…the southern edge of the village led to a gradual slope rather than a drop, at the end of which sat a large forest that she had only caught a glimpse of thus far.

 _Maybe I'll check that out tomorrow…_

Now with no further to go, Astrid was about to turn and head back into the main part of town when a faint splashing sound met her ears. Curious, as there hadn't been any other noises of village activity up to this point, she headed toward the massive structure from where it appeared to be emanating…what looked to be some sort of tower with a large, round open basin sitting atop sturdy wooden columns – probably filled with water – and a similarly filled, ring-shaped trough of equal circumference below it at ground-level.

 _A water tower…? That doesn't sound like too dumb of a term, does it…?_

Strangely enough, she could still hear the splashing coming from the area of the 'water tower' but see nothing there – no birds bathing in the trough, no animals lapping up an early morning drink or… _oh._

 _Oh no…_

There was, in fact, not just something there, but some _one_ …someone with a thin enough body to have hidden him from view behind one of the columns until she had changed her angle of approach. Someone she recognized immediately.

 _Don't say anything, just walk away, walk away—_

"Hey, Hiccup." Apparently, her mouth just wasn't in sync with her mind this morning, though she couldn't ignore the twinge of pride she felt as he instantly jerked his head up to look at her. It seemed that her lesson about eye contact – not to mention the new name she had given the boy – had stuck quite nicely with him.

"Oh! Hi, um, Astrid…hi, Lady Astrid. What, ah, are you doin' here… _n-not_ that you can't go anywhere you want, I mean—"

"Just taking a little stroll around the village," Astrid quickly answered to silence his rambling. "Couldn't sleep most of the night, so…how about you?"

Again the young man's left hand went to the back of his head, quickly raking through his hair before he forced it slowly back down and instead latched it to his upper right arm, squeezing the slight muscle there in an attempt to soothe his nerves. "Oh, I was just here to wash up a little, I mean I know it's supposed to be for laundry but I don't really have that many places to do it and I don't use the trough water anyway, I was just testin' how cold it was and—"

"Whoa, whoa…chill out, okay?" Astrid laughed too lightly... _ugh, what's_ wrong _with me this morning?_ "I'm no tattle-tale. Besides, nothing wrong with a guy who wants to keep himself clean…even though most I've seen around here would probably beg to differ."

"Heh, yeah," the boy could only briefly duck his head to hide his blush at the indirect compliment. "Honestly, I've met yaks that smelled better _along_ with their excrement than those—than the…uhh, _oh gods_ …" The blood that had suddenly rushed to his cheeks now fled them even faster, leaving him pale with shock at his own impudent comment… _in front of the chief's future wife, no less!_ "No!" he scrambled to take back his words. "No, I shouldn't have said that, that was—" He found himself cut off by a surprisingly bright peal of laughter that rang like bells into the morning air, and he looked up again in bemusement at the blonde girl.

"You can say that again!"

"I can?" Bemusement turned to bewilderment as he met those crystal blue eyes of hers…they were practically _twinkling_! "But I just…I-I-I had no right to say that about my superiors, I mean I'm me and they're them and you're…you-you're not _upset_?"

"Hardly," Astrid answered amidst her light chortles. "It's not like I'm an ally of the men around here myself…another reason I'm not telling on you being out here." She reined her giggles back in as curiosity overtook her. "How exactly _are_ you out here, anyway? I'm assuming slaves can't go anywhere they please."

"Ha, definitely not," the young man said more calmly, tucking his thumbs into his burlap belt to help still his fidgety hands as a tiny smirk crossed his features. "I'm just fast and skinny enough to duck the guards."

"Rebel," she grinned back before schooling herself into a serious expression. "Except you weren't able to duck them last night, obviously."

The smirk melted quickly into chagrin. "Not so much…though I did at least manage to find some more twine for new tunic lacings after you left."

"I see that you did…nice work. _So_ …" She placed a hand on her hip. "What was the deal with all that, anyway? Have those jerk soldiers tried that on you before?" An odd and unwelcome spark of outrage flickered through her briefly at the thought.

"No," the boy answered shortly, sighing as he sat down on the wide rim of the trough. "But before was…different."

Astrid waited for him to elaborate further on the statement, but nothing came. She walked to stand beside one of the large pillars and leaned herself casually against it, watching the boy trail a disinterested finger through the water in the trough while searching for a response to fill the awkward silence settling between them. "Well, then," the blonde tried, hoping to again engage her only companion at such an early hour in conversation, "forget about that…it's over now anyway. Tell me about this… _water tower_ contraption instead. How does it work?"

"Oh!" The young man's entire demeanor seemed to shift at the query, his jade eyes lighting up as he practically sprang from his seated position. "It's actually not very complicated, and hey…" he turned so that he was shyly looking over his shoulder at her, "I actually, um, like that name you came up with."

"Which one?" Astrid smirked. "Water tower…? Or 'Hiccup'…?" She was surprised when – though a tint of pink did creep back into his cheeks – he didn't stammer with his answer…along with being surprised at the answer itself.

"Both…can't say my name's the worst." He smiled at her briefly before clearing his throat, realizing he was being unusually bold and preferring to steer their talk back in a more comfortable direction for him. "So uh, the very aptly-named water tower is designed to give the village a constant source of, well… _water_ , one in which it's more easily accessed than it can be in a well. Basically, instead of having to make multiple trips to draw buckets of water for washing clothes and whatnot, you bring all your stuff to the water in just one trip…there's enough of it in the trough to get everything done at once."

There was all that expressive body motion again. Astrid couldn't help the smirk inching across her lips as Hiccup – _yep, he's 'Hiccup' now to me_ and _himself, I suppose_ – gestured this way and that according to whatever he was talking about, even mimicking holding a bucket and doing laundry at one point, as if just to make sure she understood…and she definitely did. Being a chief's daughter had certainly never excused her from household chores, and she had experienced the exhaustion of ferrying bucket after bucket of water from the town well to her house just as Hiccup was referring to.

"So the water from the trough," the young man continued to explain, "comes from all the rainwater that falls into the basin up there." He pointed up to the massive container and then turned his attention to one of several thin ropes hanging down above the trough at eye level. "To get the water to come out and fill the trough, you just pull on one of these…they open these little spring-loaded hatches built into the bottom of the basin allowing the water to be released. See?"

Astrid nodded, impressed, as Hiccup demonstrated the process for her, hearing a tiny squeak that must've been one of the hatches he mentioned opening, followed by the loud splash of water as a steady cascade of it from ran from above to hit the trough below. "Effective and efficient…very nice," she mused. "I'll give it to Viggo that he's got brains, at least." _If only that…_

"Viggo…? Oh, right." Rather than letting go of the rope and stopping the flow of water, Hiccup had instead wrapped it around a nail that was sticking out from one of the wooden columns. The rays of the rising sun reflected off the falling water as he cupped his hands underneath the stream and splashed it onto his face, deciding he might as well go ahead and freshen up like he came here to do even _with_ the unexpected company.

 _But not un_ welcome _– she's actually pretty cool…_

Astrid, meanwhile, found herself practically mesmerized at the simple act taking place before her. It certainly didn't help how the morning's growing light had cast a glow around the already attractive young man, silhouetting his lean frame against the backdrop of the ocean and the sparkling, clear stream of flowing water he now stood beside. Nor did it help when he leaned over to wash himself again, shimmering liquid tendrils flying from his hands and onto his face and hair.

 _Oh sweet Freya…_

Naturally, Hiccup was entirely oblivious to _any_ effect his innocent practice of good hygiene was having on her, so it wasn't like she could blame him when he then rose to his full height and turned to look at her…not any more than she could blame the damn _sunrise_ for the way it gilded his auburn hair and freckled skin, or the water drops for the way they glinted as they clung to said hair and skin and beaded on his long lashes and slid down his slender neck and…no, _no,_ _Thor almighty, SNAP OUT OF IT!_

Ultimately, she could only blame herself. _What is_ wrong _with me this morning?!_

"Well, um, actually," The act of Hiccup wiping his face and neck dry with the sleeve of his tunic and then letting the rope loose from the nail – thus cutting off the running water – mercifully brought her back down to earth. "Viggo only oversaw construction of the, um…water tower. Someone else invented it."

"Yeah?" Astrid questioned casually, still recovering from her momentary lapse in judgment. "Who was that?"

The boy looked almost taken aback at the fact that she had shown enough interest to ask. "Oh, it, uh…" He bit his lower lip, eyes darting right and left as if searching for how to answer before finally returning to meet hers, an odd hint of sadness now present within the green depths. "It was nobody."

"What do you…ah, I see." Astrid clucked her tongue. Hiccup, she now knew for sure, was certainly a smart cookie…but she was no slouch herself in that department. "Really amazing idea you came up with; I foresee it eventually catching on."

"Thank y—yuhhh… _hold on_!" The young man's hand had gone from shyly combing through his hair in acknowledgement of the accolade to now clutching several strands of it in panic. "W-why are you saying that to me, I-I didn't—"

" _Nobody_ invented it?" Astrid raised a skeptical blonde eyebrow. "And before I gave you the name 'Hiccup', who was it that you introduced yourself to me as? Oh, right… _nobody_." She gave the stunned boy a triumphant look. "Nice try."

"Ok, fine!" Hiccup's hand dropped in exasperation and defeat back to his side. "You got me…yeah, it was my idea. But it's not like a slave could ever be credited for any actual positive achievement around here."

Emboldened by no longer having to keep up appearances, he shook his head in disgust at the fact before meeting Astrid's eye again. "I used to sketch a lot in my free time – landscapes, animals, the occasional person…and lots of crazy inventions even though I'll never be able to see them through." He sank down to sit on the rim of the trough once more, silently astonished when she walked over and sat beside him without a word. "But then Viggo found my sketchbook, one day…ripped out every page and threw it into the fireplace while I watched. All except for the pages with the inventions…he put those in his pocket. Guess he ended up likin' the water tower idea and copied it down, so add plagiarism to pillaging and piracy on his illustrious résumé." A tiny thrill went through him when she snickered at his wisecrack. "But, me being me and him being him, I knew better than to say anything when I saw my idea takin' shape...there's crazy and then there's _suicidal_."

"Wow," Astrid offered sympathetically after a few seconds of thought. "That, um, really sucks…but hey," she gave him a feather-light punch to the arm, barely brushing the fabric of his tunic…though it appeared as though she could've bruised him from the way he nearly fell backwards into the trough water in surprise. She looked at him firmly once he regained his balance. " _I_ credit you. I mean, you knew so much about the thing that I would've been more shocked had you _not_ invented it."

"Well, then…" His hand went back up to his hair yet again; Astrid was catching on that this was one of his most common ways to express shyness. But quickly he brought it back down to his lap, and the shyness was replaced with sincerity. "Thanks. You're the first person to ever ask…to ever _care_." The slightly lopsided smile he gifted her with then made her heart involuntarily skip a beat. "I like talking to you."

 _Likewise_ , Astrid thought to herself, but didn't say it aloud. Instead, she said something that was probably even worse, given the fact that she shouldn't even be here talking to a slave boy in the _first_ place and she very well knew it. "Then tell me your story."

Knowing and caring, though, were two different things.

"My story?"

"Yeah." She tucked some hair that had come loose from her kransen behind her ear as she looked at him. "You're smart, you're remarkably witty for someone so bashful," she suppressed a giggle when he blushed again, affirming the latter adjective, "and you look, well, um…" Her brain then started to supply her with all kinds of words that would no doubt turn his blush to an inferno, words that an engaged woman such as herself should never use with any man _other_ than her intended husband…but they _certainly_ didn't also apply to Viggo. She mentally dropped them all and managed to pick up a new word that was entirely safe. " _Different_. From all the other slaves I've seen, I mean. Why is that?"

Hiccup, wide-eyed with apprehension over what he should say – and indecision on whether he should say anything at all – was saved from having to give an answer _period_ by muted voices now starting to converse in the distance along with the clangs of metal and creaks of cart wheels, the growing cacophony signifying a village waking at the sunrise. That was his cue to vamoose…

He opened his mouth to say as much to Astrid, but the blonde had heard the noises herself and understood completely before he could even voice his concern. "Go…don't get caught." She gave him a friendly wink. "Again."

The auburn-haired boy rose from his seat, passing a quick hand through his locks and then giving her another warm smile. "It was nice talking to you, Lady Astrid."

She smiled. "See you around, Hiccup." She watched with a million thoughts swirling through her head as the young man gave her a last look before turning and sprinting back into the village, lithely and expertly concealing himself behind various structures and objects as he went until he deemed that the coast was clear.

When she could see him no longer, she stood up herself and sighed deeply in exasperation. Of all those million thoughts, the most prominent of them was one that she could _definitely_ do without…but deny it, she definitely could _not_.

 _Gods help me…I'm going soft on a slave._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Repeat that to me? And this time speak in a language I can understand."

"I told ya, chief!" The stocky, grizzled man fought the urge to stamp his foot on the ground in a childish fit. "We was there in the sittin' room jus' doin' what you said we could last night, an' in came Miss High-n-Mighty spoutin' off insults an' spoilin' our fun with that boy!"

"You mean my future wife?" Viggo's dark brown glare examined his soldier as though he were an insect, and he watched in growing anger as Mort continued on.

"I swear it was her! Ya know of any other blonde-'aired, blue-eyed beauties like that on this island?!" the man shot back before remembering who he was talking to and gulping audibly. "Sir."

"And she said _I_ ordered you to report back to your posts?"

"She damn-well threatened you'd _castrate_ us if we didn't! Face it, Viggo, you got yerself a spitfire for a sweetheart."

"That," Viggo finally spoke after a few moments of contemplation, "is a situation that must be rectified." He waved a hand at his soldier. "You're dismissed."

"But sir, she took our pretty li'l toy from us!" Mort complained. "Ain't ya gonna give 'im—"

"No," the chief answered shortly. "I've decided the boy has a special reservation for this evening." He glowered in the direction of his fortress where the young woman – the one he had so recently and so _mistakenly_ deemed as 'perfect' – no doubt still slept soundly away. "And my lovely fiancée has another lesson to learn."

TBC…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: Well, that can't be good… But at least Astrid got to smile some in the meantime, right? If only I'd be lucky enough to have such an encounter, I might actually be a morning person! Which I am definitely not…coincidentally I am also perpetually, hopelessly single. Sigh.

Oh well, at least there's fanfic…lots more, in fact! You need only to keep coming back for it…and thanks for having done just that so far!

Everlight18: Thanks again! Yes, it is very important to remember that any number of things could be different as there are AU elements to this story, but that's okay if it slips your mind! It's the nature of reading AUs, I guess, and it's happened to me before too. But yep, Stoick is all good back on Berk…and hey, *whispers cautiously*, maybe he's not the only one… *normal voice again* Can't confirm your guesses concerning Hiccup's mother yet, but more on that is coming up soon…

And yes, Astrid is definitely out of her element when it comes to the slavery deal. Viggo and his men had no scruples in the show for sure, while Berk's portrayal – despite the way the villagers treated Hiccup till the end of the first movie – is pretty much of a friendly, if though scrappy and tough, place…brawl-happy but never bloodthirsty. Completely throwing out the parameters of "real Viking society vs. kid's entertainment", I could never see the Berkians as practicing slavery…but Viggo and his gang? Definitely yes. So essentially, Astrid knows the ins-and-outs of it as it exists in parts of her world, knows that such people are supposed to be considered far beneath her…and thus the concept _can_ be there in her mind to slip out. BUT, where it's never been a part of her _life_ , it's not yet a part of her _heart_ ; slaves are still people to her. So therein lies the conflict that she'll have to balance from here on out.

Glad you enjoyed Hiccup's intro, though! Yep, I pretty much can't take it when Hiccup isn't 'Hiccup' – I swear the word is an adjective in this fandom as well as a name! – as there could just never be a more perfect combo of sweet-shy-engaging-amusing-awkward-adorableness, lol…so there you have it. I'm happy his trademark character came across in his intro for you! But you are correct – the Reaper Tribe and Hiccup are the only ones in on a big secret…and exactly what all that secret entails and how it came to be will be revealed soon! Hiccup is 20 now and Astrid is 21…not sure why, but I always imagined her as being a few months older than him, so that's how I wrote it.

More coming up tomorrow as weekends get the double-update! :-)

-PWK


	5. Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER: *beats chest and bellows* I _alone_ control the HTTYD franchise…*coughs hoarsely*…in my dreams. DreamWorks and Cressida Cowell, however, don't have to dream…they are the true _Dragon_ masters.

SPOILERS: This fic is considerably AU, so none except a few already widely-known aspects of plot and characters are involved. Warning for brief abuse this chapter, still safely 'T' though!

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **Boundless**

PREVIOUSLY: _"But sir, she took our pretty li'l toy from us!" Mort complained. "Ain't ya gonna give 'im—"_

" _No," the chief answered shortly. "I've decided the boy has a special reservation for this evening." He glowered in the direction of his fortress where the young woman – the one he had so recently and so mistakenly deemed as 'perfect' – no doubt still slept soundly away. "And my lovely fiancée has another lesson to learn."_

 **Chapter 4**

"Have a seat, dearest."

Astrid fought a glare, not fooled in the least by Viggo's show of chivalry as he pulled the dining room chair out from under the table for her. Gods, was this to be her life from now on, having to go through this same empty charade every evening with a man she had no feelings for other than irritation? She sat obediently…and then brought her hands straight down to lock onto the chair's sides and propelled her body forward, scooting the chair back up to the table _herself_ in a subsequent show of defiance and independence.

Viggo only smirked, taking his hands off of the back of her chair before taking his own seat. "Dinner tonight, I assure you, will be quite a treat."

"How nice," Astrid nearly sneered, giving a pointed look to the bare table on which she now rudely rested her elbows. "Where is it, then?"

"Ah, all part of the treat," Viggo grinned. "I decided it would make the meal much more palatable to be freshly served to us rather than simply waiting on us…and once you dig in, I'm sure you'll agree and prefer it this way from now on." He made sure his eyes were locked on Astrid for his next move. "So then, without further ado…"

Astrid jumped a bit in her seat at the two loud claps that came from Viggo's raised hands, her elbows consequently slipping off the table. Then she found herself having to hold back a gasp as none other than Hiccup – the same bright and energetic boy she had so enjoyed conversing with mere hours earlier – came trudging out of the shadows with his auburn head submissively bowed, hands holding two platters on which sat their dinner of lightly smoked salmon and fresh greens.

"Boy!" Viggo's sharp shout made her jump again, and the man chuckled to himself in satisfaction. "Serve the lady first…and do not speak to or look at her!"

"Yes, Lord Grimborn."

Astrid could've sworn she felt a tiny crack form in her heart at how small and meek Hiccup's voice sounded, and the way he wouldn't— _no_ , was _forbidden_ to meet her eye only made the fissure widen as he carefully placed the platter in front of her. He then turned to Viggo and sat the other platter in front of him before stepping back from the table and waiting expectantly.

"Dismissed," Viggo declared, and the boy slunk back into the room's recesses. "Eat up, dearest, before it gets cold."

The fish practically tasted like ash in her mouth. She had a sinking feeling that the evening would take a bad turn, and she silently wished that Hiccup wasn't there. Not that she knew why she should care, or if she _did_ care…but she did.

 _Oh gods, I_ do _care…_

The realization caused her hand to suddenly spasm, and she winced as the sound of her fork clattering to the floor echoed within the space. Viggo's answering smirk, however, made the wince want to grow into a full-on cringe.

"Boy!" he shouted again, and instantly his young slave came back into view, head still down. "Pick that up!"

"Wait, I can—" Astrid started, already slightly bent in order to pick the utensil up herself, but she froze and straightened her back as Viggo roughly shoved Hiccup toward her.

"You are not to lower yourself to such a level, dearest…not when there's someone around who's _already_ lower than dirt." He glared at the hunched shoulders of his slave and repeated his order. " _Pick it up_!"

Astrid watched coolly, not showing the sadness she really felt inside, as Hiccup knelt to the floor and easily retrieved the dropped fork with his long reach. She held out her hand expectantly, both for show to Viggo and to make things easier on the boy as he rose back to his full height, his hand also stretching out to meet hers and return the utensil. His head lifted barely to ensure that the fork was securely placed within her grasp, fingers brushing hers as she accepted the relay. She thought that would be the end of it.

She was therefore shocked speechless when Viggo sprang from his chair as quick as lightning, open palm flying out and rotating midair to meet the brunet's mouth in a brutal backhanded slap.

"I _forbade_ eye contact, you recalcitrant, worthless little whelp!"

Hiccup began to tremble as he fought to regain his balance and wits. "M-master, p-please, I didn't—"

The Hunter angrily raised his hand again and watched his slave stumble and curl into himself for protection. " _You_ do not tell me what you did or didn't do, boy!" He lowered it back only when he observed the tremble turning into a full-blown shake and then met the wide blue eyes of his fiancée…his point had been made – on _both_ ends. " _Get up_!" he snarled at the downed young man and watched him hurriedly attempt to scramble to his feet, lanky limbs flailing all about the polished wood floor before he was finally able to gain enough traction to stand. "Now get out of my sight!"

"I don't—" Astrid began to protest as Hiccup all but bolted from the room, only to quickly silence herself as Viggo's infuriated eyes turned to her.

"You don't _what_?" the man growled. "Did you not learn your lesson last night? No, why am I even bothering to ask." He took his seat again to be eye level with his future bride, pinning her with his coldest stare. "Of course you didn't learn, seeing as how you took it upon yourself to rescue _that_ slave from my men last night, before the rags on the one I'd punished in front of you probably even dried!"

"I didn't know he was a slave! Your _personal_ one no less as it was told to me!" Astrid yelled back, now matching his anger despite herself. "It's not like he looks like one, what with all the hair and the total lack of bruises on his skin…at least I guess until the one you just gave h—"

"And just _how_ _much_ of his skin have you seen, dearest?" Viggo sneered. "Tell me, have you counted all his freckles yet, how many are—"

"Why don't _you_ tell _me_?!"

Viggo fell back from his slight rise off the chair at the unexpectedly bold retort, having to take a second to regain his composure before snorting distastefully. "I wouldn't taint myself…despite his rather alluring looks, the boy isn't _that_ kind of slave and I'm not _that_ kind of man."

"Just checking," Astrid fired back. "And I'm not that kind of _woman_ …I promised myself to you to for the sake of my home, and I will not go back on that promise unless _you_ give me good reason!"

"And then I will make sure that your home is no more," Viggo calmly finished. "But until that and as long as you're here, I assure you, my personal slave or not I will beat that boy until the _only_ thing you can see are bruises, along with any other slave should you ever try to _help_ one again! Understood?!"

Astrid stood from her chair with such force that it nearly toppled backwards, the screech of wood upon wood sharp enough to make her hope she did damage to his perfectly polished floor. "Understood. Not like I really care about a slave anyway…I _told_ you everything to do with the boy was a mistake! Whether or not you choose to trust me on that is your own problem." She sent one last scathing glare at the man. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm not hungry."

Viggo watched with a wicked grin spreading across his neatly-groomed face as the young woman briskly left the room. "Ah, you're still learning, dearest…but learn you shall."

 _After all…I am a_ very _patient man_.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Astrid waited anxiously in her room until well past nightfall, stealthily moving through the hall, down the stairs, and finally exiting the fortress once she was sure no one was around to see her escape. The sun's descent had left a chill in the air, and she wrapped her arms around herself as she headed under the cover of the shadows for the northern edge of the village. Her steps quickened the closer she got to the lofty shape of the water tower, her mind and heart similarly racing as she finally drew near enough to see the shimmering of the trough water in the light of the almost full moon. But that was the only thing to see.

She didn't stop though until she finally reached the large structure, sighing heavily soon after at her own actions. She didn't know why exactly she had chosen this place as her refuge…probably because it was such an important part of her only _good_ memory on the whole accursed island so far. Of course, though, that was only thanks to _him_ …

Slightly out of breath from her hurried trek through the village, she decided to have a seat on the rim of the trough just as she had earlier that morning to rest…only this time she had no company. _He_ wasn't there. Which, after Viggo's dinner-time tirade, she had to accept was for the best for both of them. She stared vacantly into the gentle ripples of the water for several long moments, listening to the faint sound of waves crashing against the shore below before deeming herself recovered enough to walk back to the fortress, no matter how much she didn't want to step foot in that prison ever again.

With Berk once more directly threatened, though, she knew she had no other choice.

She rose to stand with another sigh and then froze as she heard footsteps approaching. Gods, Viggo had probably found her, stalked her like the obsessive control freak he was and—wait. _Wait._ That lean outline now standing as stock-still as she was looked _very_ familiar…

"Hiccup!"

The addressed young man almost instantly turned to run in the opposite direction at the shout of his name— _no, no I don't_ have _a name anymore!—_ and found his path blocked quicker than he ever thought was possible.

"No, don't go!" Astrid noted with dismay that he practically had his head ducked to his chest as she stood in front of him. "Hiccup, there's no need for that, remember? Look at me!"

"The last time I looked at you," came the shaky reply, "I got hit…even though I never _actually_ looked at you!" He blew out a sharp breath of air through his nose and shook his bowed head harshly. "But so what, right? Not like you ever really cared about a slave anyway!"

 _Oh no…_ He had still been within earshot of the argument even after he'd fled the room, Astrid realized with a jolt. "No, Hiccup, that's—"

"Don't call me that!" He jerked away from her outreached hand. "That's not me anymore—or maybe it is a fitting name…I mean you did refer to me as a _mistake_ , right?"

"No!" Astrid shouted and then backtracked. "I mean, yes, but I swear to the gods I meant absolutely none of it!" He had lifted his head but still wouldn't meet her eye, thus remaining totally oblivious to the sincerity in her expression. "Hiccup, I said _look at me_!"

"Is that an _order_ , Lady Astrid?"

She didn't crumble under the sarcastic tone, instead matching his attitude with one of her own. "Yes. That's an _order_."

His eyes finally rose to lock with hers at this, anger visibly warring with hurt and sadness within the emerald orbs. She filled her own azure ones with all the emotions she was feeling in turn, holding his stare until the anger receded into near nothingness, now overtaken by what possibly appeared to be a tiny spark of _hope_ that encouraged her to continue speaking.

"Hiccup, I know you overheard the things I said to Viggo, and I know it must've seemed like I was casting you aside without a care." Astrid shuffled her feet…she didn't want to say the next part, but after the evening's fiasco it now had to be made clear. "But in reality, I only said those things because I _do_ care. You heard me say that I _didn't_ , sure…but did you hear what Viggo told me before I said that? How he threatened you?"

Understanding slowly started to melt the former iciness of the jade gaze, and Astrid knew then that the odd companionship they had was still salvageable.

"I couldn't let him see any show of concern for you…he would've dragged you back and beaten you to a pulp just like he said he would had I done so." The young man's guard was finally relaxing, allowing Astrid to relax her stiff posture and voice as well. "Hiccup, when I'm with Viggo I have to talk and act in a certain way…for my own safety, for the safety of my home and my people…and your safety now, too. But it's just that – an act. And I _know_ , I know you don't have any reason to believe me or trust me but—"

"You said you wanted to hear my story," Hiccup's voice retained a wary edge, but the anger had drained completely from it. "I'll tell you…but tell me yours first. Any fool could see by now that you don't wanna marry Viggo…so, why are you?" He watched as her head lowered at the question, flaxen bangs falling to shield her face from view, and a wave of sympathy flooded out the last vestiges of irritation within him. "That threat he made against your home…that wasn't an empty one, was it? That's why you're here…isn't it."

Her head lifted again, crystal blue eyes filled with resignation as they met his own green ones. "Yes."

"W-what happened?"

The query was soft and earnest, and Astrid found herself spilling the beans before she could even consider doing otherwise. She told him about the botched treaty signing, how Viggo and his armada had invaded her island under the cloak of darkness and left them with no choice but to comply with his demands for payback. How she had been the price for Berk's safety, her freedom the sacrifice to keep the peace between her tribe and the Reapers. By the time she finished, her eyes had begun to sting with hints of oncoming tears that she doggedly fought back…but when she finally locked gazes again with Hiccup, she was taken aback to find _his_ eyes actually _brimming_ with them.

"You…you're a prisoner here, too." The words were practically a whisper and filled with remorse. "Just like I am…oh, _Astrid_ ," his voice rose in volume, "Lady Astrid, I-I-I'm so sorry, I was so out of line to yell at you, I-I didn't—"

"Exactly," the young woman silenced him with a feather-light finger to his mouth. "You didn't know, so I don't blame you." She felt a tiny sliver of roughness marring the supple skin of his lips; upon pulling her hand back to have a look, she discovered that his bottom one had been freshly split…the work of Viggo's vicious slap. _Damn him to Hel…_ She shook off the thought and focused back on Hiccup, who was now predictably and _very_ understandably blushing from the brief touch… _gods, I need to do a better job keeping my hands to myself, I can't be—_

"It was still wrong of me, though." His quiet self-admonition interrupted her own mental one. "I should've made sure I knew your whole story before flyin' off the handle like I did, and I really do apologize for it."

"Well, apology accepted," she smiled at him. "And now you do know. So…" Feet now tired of standing in the same spot for too long, she walked over to sit on the rim of the water trough and patted the space beside her for him to join. He obliged her, and once he was seated she caught and held his attention with her azure stare, expression firm but not unfriendly as she prepared for _her_ turn at truly getting to know _him_. "What about you? What's up with all those things I asked about last time we were here…why you look different from other slaves, why you _act_ different from them…why those soldiers and apparently now Viggo too seem to have it out for you?"

She saw his head beginning to duck and once again found her body acting quicker than her brain, a hand reaching out to touch careful fingers to the line of his jaw and gently tilting his face back up before lowering back to rest in her lap. "What's _your_ story, Hiccup?"

The boy's wide eyes seemed to be filled with an unnamed fear as they flicked to meet hers, remaining fixed there for a long moment before fluttering shut alongside the nervous, shaky breath he drew. "Just p-promise me…" His gulp was both audible and visible. "Promise me you won't tell anyone I told you any of this." He reopened his eyes, a desperate plea present in the green depths that all too easily plucked at her heartstrings. "He'd have me killed straightaway – or do it _himself_ – if he ever found out I told…"

Astrid didn't even need to ask who the not-so mysterious 'he' was. Sincerity in her gaze, she instantaneously and decisively granted Hiccup's request. "I promise."

"Well," the boy began after taking a long moment to gather his thoughts, "to answer your first couple questions, I look and act different from the other slaves 'cause I've always _been_ a different type of one…you could never know I'm a slave just by lookin' at me because that's _exactly_ the way Viggo wanted me to look for other tribes."

"What do you mean?"

The young man sighed before continuing. "For the last sixteen years of my life I had to put on an act too, Lady Astrid. On special occasions I actually _did_ have a name…it was Saber."

"Saber…?" Though she had forgotten the name before, it now instantly clicked in her head. "You mean Viggo's—"

"Younger brother…yep," Hiccup finished for her.

"But Viggo told me he had died," Astrid countered in confusion. "He'd been sick with some long-term illness for the past couple of years or so and it finally got the better of him."

"Oh, he died, all right," Hiccup answered back with a roll of his emerald eyes. "But try assassination instead of illness… _character_ assassination, to be more precise."

Astrid's brow furrowed at the strange phrase. "I…I don't understand."

"I mean Viggo _literally_ assassinated my character…the role I played of his brother Saber." Still seeing a perplexed look on her face, Hiccup decided it was time to stop speaking in riddles and elaborated. "When I turned eighteen two years ago, Viggo came to a crossroads with the game he'd played for so long…I was suddenly old enough to not only go to various intertribal functions but to be expected to have a say in them as well, bein' the esteemed heir to the Reaper Tribe and all." He huffed and shook his head. "Well, at this point Viggo started sayin' I'd gotten too sick to go, 'cause _of course_ Viggo couldn't have me talking during the meetings, lest I pull rank and blow his cover or accidentally say somethin' to create suspicion that I wasn't really his brother…or that he never even had a _living_ younger brother in the first place."

"But, if he…and you… _ugh_!" Astrid fumbled for words. "Okay okay, just wait," Try as she did, she just couldn't stop the cynicism from creeping into her tone. "I think you need to start from the beginning…when and _how_ , exactly, did this whole thing come to be? And why the emphasis on 'living'…?"

Her stare toward the young man was arctic blue as she folded her arms across her chest in challenge. "Start talkin', Hiccup."

TBC…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: Poor Hiccup…I only hurt 'im in my writing 'cause I love 'im…just ask Sam Winchester of _Supernatural_ all about that, haha, and keep it in mind throughout!

Everlight18: Haha, so is that 'bad feeling' better or worse, now? ;-)

So yep…Viggo taught another lesson this chapter, and it may or may not have gone down like people were expecting – but him being him, continual worry is always justified no matter what he does…the man is always scheming! And yep, he stole Hiccup's water tower idea – no morals with this one so what's a little idea-theft added in, I'd say… Glad you liked the water tower thing though as I remained a little unsure of how that came across! I know there were similar-looking inventions in HTTYD2, but I couldn't remember seeing any such thing in HTTYD1 or any episode of the series, so…bam! New Hiccup invention, lol.

Guest: You are very welcome, I'm glad it cleared things up for you.

And don't worry, that will definitely not happen to Hiccup (nor Astrid) in this story…the threat is there and – like in Chapter 2 (which actually reads as Chapter 3 for this site because I had a 'prologue', lol) – mentioned in passing as these are some seriously nasty dudes…but with my writing, it stops at that. Just personally not at all comfortable going there…though no respect lost for writers who do, as stories where a character goes through that _but_ ultimately recovers and rises above it can be very triumphant ones. But I'll leave those stories to those writers…this one just can't let herself take it that far!

So, my readers, some revelation is clearly on its way…how will Astrid take it? Come back Tuesday for the next installment to find out the answer to that and more! :-)

-PWK


	6. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER: Never take a creation from its creators…don't you know _anything_? Much like Stormfly with Eret, DreamWorks and Cressida Cowell still sit upon the rights to HTTYD…not me.

SPOILERS: This fic is considerably AU, so none except a few already widely-known aspects of plot and characters are involved.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **Boundless**

PREVIOUSLY: _"But, if he…and you…_ ugh _!" Astrid fumbled for words. "Okay okay, just wait," Try as she did, she just couldn't stop the cynicism from creeping into her tone. "I think you need to start from the beginning…when and how, exactly, did this whole thing come to be? And why the emphasis on 'living'…?"_

 _Her stare toward the young man was arctic blue as she crossed her arms across her chest in challenge. "Start talkin', Hiccup."_

 **Chapter 5**

 _Oh boy, she really means business, okay, it's okay, you can do this, you're only telling her the truth and she promised she wouldn't tell anybody that you're telling it…_

Hiccup found himself having to take a deep, calming breath, knowing the truth in _this_ case was going to be stranger than fiction.

 _Welp, here goes…_

"Okay…let's backtrack those sixteen years ago, then," he prefaced. "I was four at that time and that's when the conditioning for the role started. I don't remember much at all from so far back, but years down the road once I was old enough to understand, Viggo told me that he really _did_ have a younger sibling once upon a time…only he or she was never born." He saw Astrid's blue eyes widen at the words. "Yep…no one outside of the Reaper Tribe apparently ever knew it, but Lady Grimborn was still pregnant when she and her husband the chief were killed."

"I remember hearing about their deaths…" Astrid offered, arms loosening slightly across her chest. "My father was told it was a dragon attack."

"Yep," Hiccup confirmed. "But the fact that she hadn't yet given birth when she died was kept insider knowledge with the Reapers…for all any of the other tribes knew, the baby had been born and survived and kept in privacy for a while. That's where four-year-old me came in…I was basically recruited to be passed off as said _actually_ -but- _not_ -actually-dead brother since he, too, would've been approximately four years old had he lived."

"Oooo-kaaay…" Astrid drawled out, pressing her lips together before speaking again. "I still don't get it. Why would Viggo have _made up_ the existence of a brother that never really came to one outside the womb? What would he have to gain from that?"

The skepticism remained – he would've had to have been deaf not to hear it – but Hiccup pressed on. "Fear," he shortly replied. "Reverence from the other tribes while still getting to retain his single guy lifestyle…I mean, he needed an heir to ensure reputation, that the Grimborn name would stay on top across the Archipelago rather than go down in history as nothin' but a flash in the pan." He shrugged with a pointed look at Astrid. "He just never wanted the wife necessary to _get_ an heir…till now, I guess." His smirk was tinged with sympathy. "I know…why you, right?"

"No, why _you_ ," came Astrid's sharp retort. "You – successfully posing as Viggo's little brother?" She re-tightened her crossed arms and scoffed disparagingly. "Who would've ever believed something so ridiculous…I mean, look at you!"

Hiccup frowned at her and then shrugged again before mockingly leaning over to examine his reflection in the trough water. "Okay…I'm lookin'. Now what?"

She punched him on the arm again, a bit harder than the last time she had done it, scowling. "Be serious!" She waited until he was looking at her once more before plowing ahead. "Hiccup, you don't share a single physical – not to mention _moral_ – characteristic with the man! I mean he's tall and dark and—"

"Please don't say 'handsome'," Hiccup cut in with a shudder that Astrid matched.

"Ugh, no!" she cried out. "More like _horrible_! But Hiccup, you're none of those things that he is…well, except maybe tall, I'll give you that."

"Taller than you," he grinned teasingly.

"Shut up. Anyway…" Astrid struggled to find her words before finally just resigning herself to say what she saw. "I mean, Viggo is, well…not super-bulky but still stocky…and you're—"

"Scrawny?" Hiccup wryly supplied.

" _Slender_!" she corrected, fighting a slight blush.

"Same difference."

"But mine sounds less offensive." She heaved a deep sigh at his snark before pushing into even more dangerous territory for her nerves and 'engaged-woman' decorum. "And his hair is really dark and coarse-looking while yours is reddish-brown and, um—"

"Shiny? Smooth as silk?" he winked.

"Stop it! But… _yeah_ , sure, we'll go with that…definitely smoother than your charm, at least!" _That_ finally caused the insufferable boy's smirk to fall, and she smirked briefly as well in triumph. It was just too bad, though, that her part wasn't over yet. "And uh, you've got so many freckles unlike him, and then he's got brown eyes where yours are, umm…" _Oh gods, now I really_ am _blushing…_ "Really, really green," she lamely finished, now not able to even meet said emerald orbs.

When she finally did, though, she found a soft look in them and a slight smile and blush on his face as well. Gods help her, she was more at ease dealing with his sarcasm than she was with…with _that_. She cleared her throat. "So, yeah, anyway…how did Viggo explain all, you know…" Her hand waved abstractly in circles toward him. "All of _this_?"

"You just gestured to all of me," Hiccup laughed lightly, then cleared his throat too and schooled his features back into seriousness. "But to answer your question…Viggo never had to explain it away 'cause he made it all _go_ away. He bulked up my fishbone frame with layered clothing and armor…he concealed my freckles with war paint – nothin' unusual for such a bloodthirsty tribe to commonly wear during special occasions, after all…and…"

"Let me guess…you always wore a helmet to cover your hair," Astrid ventured, starting to catch on. "But what about your eyes?"

"Getting to that," Hiccup replied. "You're correct about the helmet thing, by the way, but as for my eyes…" He passed a quick hand through his thick hair a few times, combing the front of it as far forward and as straight as he could get it before looking back at her, now nearly unable to see. "He made sure my bangs always covered 'em, this only after coating my hair in charcoal dust and soot to dye it dark since it partially still showed." Brushing the messy russet waves back into relative place, he finally searched Astrid's gaze to see the emotions it held…to see what her verdict was.

"Wow." Her blue eyes held astonishment despite herself. "That's um…pretty elaborate."

"Such were the proceedings every time another tribe came to visit." Hiccup confirmed. "He would dress me up, trot me out, and I would be forbidden to speak the whole time unless spoken to first…depending on what was said, that is. Whenever it was somethin' that rattled Viggo's nerves, he would answer for me and I would just nod or shake my head accordingly."

"So, then…" Stark realization suddenly dawned upon Astrid. "He's lied to the entire Barbaric Archipelago for nearly two decades."

"Yeah, 'fraid so," Hiccup admitted, sheepishly bringing a hand to the back of his neck which he could now feel flushing with shame. "And I-I-I'm so sorry for the part I've played in it, I-I never wan—"

"Hiccup," Astrid immediately confronted his misplaced guilt. "No one in their right mind would blame you…you were just a kid and it was all you were ever allowed to know. Viggo is the one at fault here," she reassured him, pleased when he gave her a small smile in response. "I have just one more question, though…if it went so well for all those years, why stop? Why… _kill you off_ ," she made air quotes as she spoke, "as Saber instead of keeping the ruse going?"

"You," Hiccup answered simply. "It's the only thing I can guess, 'cause before Viggo left all those days ago he warned me to 'enjoy my last days of protected immunity'…and when he came back, you were with him and his soldiers were suddenly at my throat."

"So that's what you meant when you told me they hadn't attacked you before…when you said that things up to that point had been _different_." It finally all made awful, crazy sense to Astrid…strange as it was, she knew the boy before her was telling the whole truth.

"Mm-hmm," Hiccup nodded. "I guess now that you're here, there's just no need for Saber to exist anymore…no more need to fake an heir now that you're promised to him. Plus, he never wanted you findin' out about his ruse."

He shot an entirely sympathetic and sorrowful look at her that she fully understood. "So he just decided to kill two birds with one stone…a _guaranteed heir_ through taking a wife," she nearly spat in disgust, "and getting rid of the false one with one last lie."

"That about sums it up." Hiccup looked sadly at her. "Sayin' Saber died of illness was a nice touch too, since like I said, illness is how he's been explaining my absence at the tribal functions ever since I turned eighteen. Guess that wraps it all up in a neat little package for him."

"Bastard," Astrid growled.

"You can say that again," Hiccup agreed.

They sat there in companionable silence for several moments – him trying not to notice how the moonlight reflected in those amazing crystal blue eyes, her trying to ignore how glossy and soft his hair really _did_ look as the gentle night breeze barely ruffled it…and despite the all forced dye jobs he'd mentioned – before Hiccup finally spoke up.

"Maybe we should both be getting back."

Astrid nodded and stood with a stretch. "You're probably right…" She yawned. "Just because I'm allowed to be out at this time of night doesn't mean I want anyone else to know about it."

"Oh, really…" A mischievous grin, wide enough to show off the adorable small gap between his two front teeth, spread across Hiccup's face as he, too, rose to a stand. "Well, I can help you out with that…if you think you can keep up." He winked at her, causing her stomach to flutter.

"Try me," she smiled impishly back.

In the blink of an eye he was off running, her following closely behind him with adrenaline coursing through her body as they weaved around buildings and ducked behind stalls and carts, holding their hands over their mouths to keep from giggling every time they hid from a guard. Astrid couldn't remember the last time she'd had such fun…all her worries and woes gradually vanishing away with each pump of her legs and each fast beat of her heart.

They picked up the pace, now sprinting behind a line of buildings that gave them a straight shot back to the fortress. She could feel her braid whipping out behind her head, her bangs completely blown out of her face from the speed of her run…and she realized that for the first time since she'd set foot on Reaper Island, she felt… _free_.

And _gods_ , did it feel incredible.

She slowed down finally once she got close enough to the fortress, startling at the sound of rushing footsteps coming up behind her only to turn around and find Hiccup, long-legged stride and all, catching up with _her_ instead of the other way around. She hadn't even noticed she'd passed him.

Far from being cross that he'd been outrun though, he was beaming bright enough to rival the sun, those beautiful emerald eyes practically sparkling with mirth and _innocence_ as he stopped beside her to catch his breath.

She found herself having to catch hers, too…just in a whole different way.

"Wow—Lady Astrid," he got out in between pants. "Impressive."

"Thanks," she smiled. "So…where do you go from here?"

"Well," Hiccup began, "I suppose I could show you, if you want…bu— _whoa_!" He held up his index finger to stop her from turning toward one of the fortress's main entrances, and then used it to point behind the massive structure. " _Secret_ entrance…you'll be able to fit too, I'm sure."

Astrid hesitated only for a second or two before nodding. "Lead the way."

After a short jaunt they found themselves at the back of the fortress, and Astrid watched curiously as Hiccup moved a large barrel with an efficiency belying his slight frame. After it was out of the way, she could see a hole in the building's foundation that did indeed appear big enough for Hiccup and herself to fit through.

"Ta-da," he dryly announced. "You're lookin' at the results of a lazy repairman…dates to years back. Instead of doin' his job and patchin' up the problem, he covered it up both inside and outside…and believe it or not, I'm the only one to have discovered it so far."

"Ha…nice detective work," Astrid lightly extolled. "So, despite me being the woman…after you?" She nodded to him, but he shook his head.

"I'm all for courtesy, but you go first. I have to move the barrel back into place after we're in."

"Oh." _Makes sense…_ "Okay then, here goes nothing." At her own little pep talk, she dropped down onto her hands and knees at the rim of the opening and then began to crawl through. It was naturally pitch dark and cramped within the passageway through the thick stone wall, but she was comforted to hear Hiccup shuffling behind her as he moved the barrel back into place. She paused to wait for him and they crawled a few feet more before Hiccup whispered for her to stop, instructing her then to change position and scoot forward on her butt, legs in front of her, for the final foot.

She did so, soon feeling heavy material hit the toes of her boots followed by the edge of the opening's other side sliding across her ankles, then under her knees, until finally she slid fully out herself, feet hitting the ground and view obstructed by a shroud of canvas. Coughing lightly at the musty smell, she pushed the fabric away from her face and stepped into a hallway she had never seen before. Here, the floors were earthen instead of polished wood and the walls were made of the same thick stone she had crawled through. It also wasn't nearly as well-lit as the main levels…and with that, Astrid realized she was in the fortress's basement.

She nearly jumped at the sound of Hiccup sliding out of the passageway behind her, turning around to face him as he emerged from behind the canvas sheet affixed to the wall. She noticed now that it was a tapestry, dark not only in color but in content as well…Astrid was pretty sure she had seen less carnage in some _real_ battles.

 _Oh well, at least it hides the hole in the wall. Smart lazy repairman…_

"Welcome to the ground floor," Hiccup matter-of-factly commented upon seeing her disturbed expression. "We have dungeons, rats, and a _charrrming_ depiction of bloodshed," he drawled. "Nonetheless, it's home." He spun on his heel and began to walk to the right down the dismal hallway, her following, until he reached a shoddily-constructed door at the end of it. "Well, _this_ is home, anyway."

Hiccup pushed the door open with a long, loud creak, and Astrid felt her heart break a little at the sight of his 'room'…especially when she mentally recalled the luxury of her own. The only things to be found in the small space were meager amenities – a couple of moth-eaten brown blankets stuffed into the far left corner, and a small wooden chair with what looked to be a tattered tan sleep shirt draped over its back in the opposite one. She could also make out a bucket containing a cloth placed underneath the chair…but most noticeable of everything was the thick bed of straw piled against the right-side wall. Hiccup entered and sat down gingerly in the straw, propping himself up with his right arm and curling his legs to one side, getting comfortable like it was nothing before looking up at her, green eyes calm.

"This…this is where you live?!" She, on the other hand, was now anything but calm. "You sleep in—in _straw_?!" He serenely nodded in response even as outrage dripped from her tone. "But I thought you…I mean…you said that Viggo made you his brother!"

"Doesn't mean he ever treated me like one," Hiccup shrugged his left shoulder. "That only happened when he needed to keep up appearances…rest of the time I just hung out here or did maintenance and chores, whatever Viggo commanded like a good little personal slave…and in turn, he kept his men off my back." He gave a little laugh. "Explains why they jumped right on me after years of being denied, huh?"

"I…guess…" she answered half-heartedly, still reeling from the reveal of Hiccup's abysmal living conditions as she stood at the room's threshold. "I, um— _what's that noise_?" She tensed at a faint pitter-patter that seemed to be growing closer. "Is that a _rat_?!" Her hand instantly went to the hilt of her knife attached to her belt. _Come on, you little vermin…_

" _Oh no_ ," Hiccup held out an imploring hand. "Astrid, _wait_ , that's not a—"

"AGH!" The sudden scream that cut him off hadn't come from her prey embarrassingly enough, but rather from Astrid herself as a pair of glowing yellow eyes met hers from the darkness. "What in the—"

" _Astrid_!" She whipped around at Hiccup's exclamation, but his jade gaze was on her weapon instead of her as he switched to sitting cross-legged. "Not necessary," he admonished, and then his face brightened into a fond smile as a slinky orange shape went darting past her ankles and into his room. "It's only Sharpshot, here."

She felt a rush of humiliation upon discovering the cause of her scare was nothing but a small, striped cat now held securely in Hiccup's arms, followed by a reluctant rush of affection when she took in the happiness on the boy's face as the animal began to purr. "Aww…cute," she offered with a small smile of her own. "Much cuter than a rat."

"Ha, I was only kidding about the rats…there's no more down here thanks to him." He cuddled the feline closer as his expression slipped into a slight frown. "It's the only reason Viggo allows him to stay down here with me…or keeps him around at all." He huffed bitterly. "Viggo isn't much of an animal person."

"Well…surprise, surprise," Astrid sneered. "I don't think the man has love for anything but himself, actually."

"I'm sorry you have to marry him," Hiccup said softly and sincerely.

"I'm sorry you have to be owned by him," Astrid echoed back. "And that you have to live like this."

"Oh, this? This is nothin'." Hiccup elaborated when he saw Astrid's confused look. "It's _waaay_ better than the _actual_ slave barracks…which are more like stables if you ask me." The brunet sat Sharpshot down onto the straw next to him, and the cat began kneading out a suitable spot to sleep. "At least here I'm out of the elements and left alone…the real slaves have it far worse than me."

Astrid found herself taken aback by the sorrow in his expression…sorrow not for himself, but for others. The young man was truly opposite of Viggo in every good way possible. He in no way deserved the abuse she had seen him suffer so far in her short time on the island, and she inwardly resolved that she'd find a way to do something about it – one that Viggo would somehow unwittingly approve of.

She looked down the darkened hallway, already trying to think of ideas before Hiccup broke her out of her trance.

"Stairs are on the left about midway down the hall when you need to leave."

He must have noticed her distant staring. Astrid was about to correct him but instead only ended up sighing out an agreement. "Yeah…I guess I should be; it's really late. But I had fun tonight," she smiled warmly. "And I want to thank you for being honest with me…you didn't have to tell me anything, you could've just ran, but…I'm glad you didn't."

"Well…thanks for listening," he said shyly as he picked at one of several worn patches on his dark green leggings. "Besides," he looked up from the action and gave her a lighthearted smirk. "I couldn't have outrun you anyway."

"You know it…or at least _now_ you do," she winked back.

"Good night, Lady Astrid," he bade softly before toeing off his battered brown leather boots and stretching out onto his side in the hay.

"'Night, Hiccup," she replied as she turned and gently pulled his door closed behind her. _I'm gonna find a way to help you…_ she mentally vowed, an idea already starting to form. _Even it if it takes getting closer to Viggo in the process._

TBC…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: Ooh, Astrid's got a plan…and Sharpshot got a makeover! Hey, Hiccup needed a friend in that awful place, and he very well can't have a dragon companion (yet, *hinthint) while in Viggo's presence, so…there ya go!

Everlight18: You are dead-on with what you drew from that last chapter! Hiccup isn't the only slave in this story, and Viggo is making sure that Astrid understands her figurative role just as well as Hiccup's literal one.

That's cool what you said about the name! I didn't think about how "Saber" fit Hiccup's character while writing– it was more, as you said, to fit the way the Reaper Tribe named their important figures – but it actually kind of _does_ fit Hiccup too now that you mention it…a weapon oftentimes underestimated for its thin build and light weight, but in the right hands and/or circumstance, just as effective as any broadsword or axe. Ha! Thanks for pointing that out! And as for your question, all I can say is that you'll be finding out what happened with Hiccup's mother very soon. I very much appreciate the kind words about my writing as well…you don't know how encouraging and rewarding it is to read such compliments! Thank YOU so much, just the same, for reading and faithfully reviewing!

Continued thanks to _all_ who are doing such things, for that matter! Also, though I can't tell you exactly what links to click on to get to it, as they had nothing like this when last I wrote fanfic…I made cover art for the story! I dunno, every time I clicked on my fic in my profile to update it, the site had this space dedicated to "select story cover image" which was "optional but recommended"…and, well, as you can imagine to a Photoshop-user and artist like yours truly, that space practically beckoned me like catnip, LOL. So it is now filled…check it out if you'd like (and know how to, haha)!

And as for the story, hope you all continue to enjoy and that you'll be back Thursday for more! :-)

-PWK


	7. Chapter 7

DISCLAIMER: Oh, readers…don't you know that a writer's writing can't overwrite the real writer's rights? Okay, then, to say it less in a less _deranged_ way…I still don't own HTTYD.

SPOILERS: This fic is considerably AU, so none except a few already widely-known aspects of plot and characters are involved.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **Boundless**

PREVIOUSLY: _"Good night, Lady Astrid," he bade softly before toeing off his battered brown leather boots and stretching out onto his side in the hay._

"' _Night, Hiccup," she replied as she turned and gently pulled his door closed behind her._ I'm gonna find a way to help you _… she mentally vowed, an idea already starting to form._ Even it if it takes getting closer to Viggo in the process.

 **Chapter 6**

"Top of the morning to you, dearest."

Astrid didn't say a word in response as she plodded into the dining quarters, unarmored and unconcerned about the sloppiness of her braid, grumpy from another night of restless sleep. This time it hadn't been nightmares, but rather whirling thoughts and schemes of how to handle the 'Hiccup Situation' as she had come to deem it. It's not like she begrudged the young man any of it, though…she would take out her insomnia-induced irritability on someone much more deserving, instead.

She had been just about to fire off a blistering remark as Viggo once again pulled her chair out for her, when she abruptly remembered the plan she had finally settled on as dawn had begun to break outside her window only a couple hours earlier…a plan that involved the exact _opposite_ of the kind of impudent behavior she was now prepared to unleash. Her gulp audible, she literally swallowed the nasty words that were on the tip of her tongue and fished for the appropriate ones instead.

"Thank you."

If Viggo was the least bit shocked at the flat expression of gratitude, or the fact that she had sat down in the chair and _allowed_ him to push it back to the table for her, he didn't show it. Instead, he clapped his hands like he'd done the previous evening and once again, out came Hiccup obediently, eyes to the floor, with their breakfast. Astrid steeled herself to first not say a single kind word to the boy she'd grown so fond of for his own sake, ignoring him as though he were nothing when he placed her bowl in front of her and then did the same for Viggo. She did look over at her fiancé, though…the man seemed pleased at her frigidness.

 _Good…now let's take it a bit further._

With a slow, sly smile on her face, she plucked her spoon from the table and tossed it to the floor, giving what she hoped was a calculating wink to Viggo. "Oops!" she sang after the silverware clattered to the hardwood. "Clumsy me…but hey, should be interesting to see if our little waiter here screws up again."

"Hmm… _indeed_ ," the man smirked back, pleasantly surprised by his future bride's devious deed. "If so, I'd be happy to give him an encore of yesterday evening's big _hit_ ," he chuckled, causing Hiccup to flinch. The betrothed pair then watched with indifferent stares as the young brunet nervously, albeit quickly snatched the utensil from the floor and put it back onto the table – his chin practically ducked to his chest and eyes squeezed shut for good measure the entire time.

"Huh. Guess that won't be necessary," the blonde shrugged, silently praising Hiccup for not missing a beat in her spontaneous performance. "Too bad," she added scathingly, to which Viggo nodded in amused agreement.

"Dismissed," the chieftain crisply told his slave, waiting until the boy left the room before turning back to Astrid. "Well, I must say…you've done quite the turnaround." He stared at her coolly. "Care to share what made you _change overnight_ , as it were?"

"I did some serious thinking, is all," Astrid calmly replied. "And you were right. If I'm to be a figure of importance in this tribe, I need to start behaving in ways appropriate for a Reaper." She locked her blue eyes with Viggo's brown ones, ignoring the fact that she'd _much_ rather be gazing into emerald green. "I'm determined to make this pending marriage work both for my former tribe _and_ my future one…just as long as you are."

"Of course, dearest!" Viggo proclaimed. "Of course I am…despite your, shall we say, _headstrong_ nature, there is no one I'd rather have ruling by my side." The man bit off a mouthful of stew-dipped bread, politely swallowing it down before speaking again. "In fact, I predict that your fiery temper and quick wit will prove very beneficial for this tribe in years to come…combined with my own mental prowess and savvy ambition, I doubt that there are any in the entire archipelago who could ever beat us."

"It's good to be on top," Astrid smirked.

"That it is," Viggo concurred. "And just think…our tribe's heir will be a perfect mixture of all those excellent traits."

The young blonde had to fight the urge to gag on the spoonful of stew she'd just gulped down. "An heir fit for a dynasty," she managed to choke out.

"Exactly," her future husband grinned. "You know, you speak and act so sensibly now that I'm almost willing to forgive your little faux-pas with rescuing my slave your first night here."

"Only almost?" Astrid's query was composed, but inside her heart had begun to race and she could only hope Viggo couldn't hear it. This was her chance…the opening she'd been waiting for. _It's now or never…_ "Well…maybe there's something I could do to earn your _full_ forgiveness, husband-to-be."

One of Viggo's dark brows rose toward his widow's peak. "Perhaps…though I'm unsure of what that could be."

"If I may make a suggestion, then?" She kept the undercurrent of hope within her tone under control, similarly suppressing a sigh of relief when he gave his affirmative answer.

"Proceed."

"Well…that slave boy I messed up so badly with," she began slowly, building up her nerves.

"Yes…what _about_ him?"

Astrid glared in the direction that Hiccup had disappeared, determined to keep putting on the best show she could for Viggo. "The fault was his for making me believe he was someone worthy of saving," she growled. "Why shouldn't he be punished for that, as part of my endeavor to prove my mettle to you as a leader…? As a _superior_ ," she emphasized.

Viggo pushed his half-empty bowl out of the way to give his full attention to her. "I'm listening…"

"I know I've only been here for a couple of days," Astrid simpered, "but I couldn't help already noticing how busy you are with training soldiers and drawing up invasion plans and other important matters." She made sure to hold his stare with her own for the next words. "Hardly leaves time for such trivial things as babysitting your personal slave, I imagine. So…" Her smile was cold as ice. "How about I take him off your hands for a while…at least long enough to show him I don't appreciate being made a fool of. A win-win solution for us both, don't you think?"

"Honestly…" Viggo paused in silent contemplation for an agonizingly long moment, and Astrid had already braced herself for the rejection of her proposal. She therefore barely contained her shock and elation when what she got was _approval_ instead. "I think…that sounds like a splendid idea." He took a small sip of his breakfast mead before continuing. "Indeed the boy can prove to be rather trying at times, and he's been afforded far too much leniency over the years, truth be told." Astrid's face remained blank as he looked directly at her. "Perhaps what he needs for further discipline is not merely a firm hand, but a fresh one as well."

The blonde opened her mouth to reply, but she was interrupted by Viggo again before she could say a word.

"And speaking of fresh…" the man ruminated, "I think I already have your first task with the boy in mind for you." He glared distastefully at his mug on the table. "I'll let you in on a bit of a secret, dearest…I care very little for mead and ale. Strong drink clouds the mind and judgment…and _my_ mind especially must always remain sharper than the deadliest of blades." He examined the knife on the table to punctuate his words, apparently finding it unworthy and dropping it back onto the polished hardwood surface with a muted 'clang'. "But, I am also a man of distinguished tastes…and stagnant well water just doesn't suffice. Nor does the water from my basin on the outskirts of the village."

Astrid had to firmly tamp down the urge to correct Viggo on his false claim of the water tower. _That's_ Hiccup' _s invention, you liar…_

"But fortunately," he spoke on, "some ways into the forest beyond the village's southern border, there lies a lovely little cove that I've learned is a wonderful source of pure, clean, _fresh_ water. Every now and again, I send the boy along with a reliable soldier of mine to retrieve some for my personal consumption…and I think my cup has been empty for far too long now." He gave Astrid a sly smile. "Why don't you take the boy this afternoon to refill it…he knows the way by now."

"Of course," Astrid acquiesced immediately, secretly thrilled at the opportunity to get Hiccup away from his cruel master and the threat of his men if only for a few hours…it would do wonders for both his safety _and_ her sanity.

Viggo chuckled…no doubt he relished the concept of having an equally vindictive slave mistress by his side, she thought to herself bitterly. "Very well, then." He snapped her back to attention. "You go on and wash up, or finish eating…whatever you need to do." He rose from his chair. "I'll go fetch the boy and have him gather all the necessary supplies, and then I'll retrieve you when everything is ready." Approaching Astrid, he placed a calloused hand upon her shoulder. "And I do thank you, dearest, for your generosity in lightening my workload."

"It's my pleasure…and it will be the boy's _pain_." She grinned in what she hoped was a wicked manner.

"That's my future wife." Apparently, it was sufficient enough if his gloat was anything to go by, her lies all convincing enough, and she couldn't help but inwardly laugh at her clandestine victory as the man left the room.

 _Looks like the teacher is unaware he's getting schooled by the student. How's_ that _for a 'lesson', bastard…_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Wow…you're a really, um, _believable_ actress, you know?"

Astrid glanced over her shoulder with a light snort. "You were eavesdropping again, weren't you."

"Eavesdropping has such a negative connotation," Hiccup wryly determined. "I prefer to think I was, ah…letting myself in on the plan so as to make sure I played my part right." He grinned as he used her own words from the previous night against her. "Mine sounds less offensive."

"Same difference," Astrid smirked as she did the same right back to him. "You weren't so bad yourself with my impromptu spoon drop, though."

"Eh…" the boy shrugged shyly. "I'm a quick study…with a good coach."

"Flatterer."

"I try…"

The banter between them eventually turned into companionable silence as they entered the forest, the quiet only broken up by the chirping of birds, rustling of leaves, and creaking of the wheelbarrow that held their pots for gathering water as Hiccup pushed the contraption forward.

"So…" the young man spoke up, looking ahead toward the blonde accompanying him as they walked deeper into the woods. "Tell me about your home…what's it like?"

"Oh, you mean Berk?" Astrid smiled at the thought of her native land as she glanced back at Hiccup again. "Well, it's a lot like other islands in the archipelago in some ways…abundant precipitation, tasteless food, even _more_ tasteless people…chief among them being my brother Erik!" she winked. "Except he's not chief of any sort quite yet – still just the heir to the tribe."

"So if he's the heir, though…guess he's older than you?"

"He's twenty-three. So yep, but only by two years…and I never let him get too swelled of a head about it," Astrid laughed. "Then there's my mother, Enid, and my father…oh, wait, _ahem_ , my father _Argo the Almighty, Chief of the Hairy Hooligans_!" she proclaimed in a horrible accent.

Whether it was her voice-acting or the strange name of her tribe that at that point sent Hiccup into a fit of giggles, she neither knew nor cared. All she was sure of was that it was absolutely adorable.

 _Or maybe 'adorkable' is a better term…ha, I like it. It suits him…_

"S-sounds like a pretty c-cool place," Hiccup managed to get out through his snickering, and Astrid nodded proudly.

"It is…I mean, we have our problems just like everywhere else, and our village idiots like Snotlout and the twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut, and even our bad apples like cranky old Mildew—"

"Interesting names," Hiccup commented with a grin that Astrid matched.

"Yeah…supposedly, hideous names will frighten off gnomes and trolls, even though those are two things that I'm pretty sure only our blacksmith believes in the existence of!"

"Hey, you never know...I, for one, think it'd be pretty fun to hunt for trolls."

"You would," Astrid sighed with an affectionate eye roll toward the young man.

"So…" Hiccup pondered, "what happened with _your_ name, though? I mean, it doesn't exactly strike fear into the hearts of savage beasts on its own."

"Didn't need that," Astrid smirked. "I was born tough."

"Yeah…no surprise there."

They had lapsed into a few minutes more of silence before Astrid spoke again. "Well, I officially have no idea where we are…I hope you do."

"Oh yeah, definitely," Hiccup assured. "I've been to the cove lots of times."

"But with soldiers, Viggo said. Exactly how many times have _you_ led the way?" Astrid queried with slight unease as she stopped walking and turned to face him…they were pretty far into the forest now.

"Well, actually…umm…crazy thing is…" Hiccup stammered, lowering the wheelbarrow and lifting a hand to nervously rake it through the back of his hair, " _I_ was, uh…the one that, um, actually found the cove first. Alone. And I kinda went back to it the second time that way, too." He gave a sheepish look to Astrid.

"Went back?" The young woman was visibly taken by surprise. "To the cove…?"

"Um…yep."

"But that's all you did…is just visited again?" Incredulity seeped into her tone, and Hiccup averted his eyes in a bout of apprehension.

"Y-yeah…there was…I was, uhh…I just needed to check on somethin'."

Part of her wondered what he meant by that, but the larger part of her couldn't believe her ears. "You mean to tell me that _twice_ , two separate times you got this far away from the village _by yourself_ , without anyone noticing…and you're still _here_?! Hiccup…" She gazed in astonishment and bewilderment at the boy, unable to hold back. "Why…? Why didn't you just…run away?"

"Because, Astrid…" Hiccup paused for a long moment, swallowing audibly before speaking again. "For one thing I've got nowhere else to go, but more than that…I didn't do it 'cause I'd already tried once before. And well, it, umm…" His eyes met hers, the grass green orbs suddenly filled with a nameless remorse. "It didn't t-turn out so well. I-it, umm, I-I-I…"

"Hiccup…?" Astrid's voice flooded with sudden concern as her companion seemed to lose himself in a painful memory. "Hiccup…what—?" Her insides jolted a little as the young man took a step backwards from her, and the imploring hand she reached out toward him then only made those steps continue. "What's wrong…Hiccup…?"

He stared off into nothing, the eerily empty gaze never wavering until the backs of his ankles met with a large, mossy tree stump. His balance faltered enough to deposit him harshly onto his rear on top of the obstruction, finally snapping him out of the trance.

"A-Astrid…?" came his shaky, uncertain call. "Wha'…?"

He didn't even need to ask…she was already moving forward. "Hiccup! Oh gods, are…are you okay?" She knelt to his level once she reached him and placed a hand on his forearm, hoping to keep him anchored to reality from then on out.

"I um…I…" He shook his head with force, as if trying to rid himself of the cobwebs still possibly clouding his mind. "I just…" His wide eyes began to narrow, his brow furrowing in annoyance at what she suspected was himself. "I'm okay now, it was noth—"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" Astrid was ready for his self-recrimination. "That wasn't 'nothing', Hiccup…'nothing' doesn't cause you to randomly check out of your current existence for nearly a minute!" She placed her other hand on his knee and gave it an encouraging squeeze, gentling her tone as his jade eyes were now attentively back on her, waiting for what she had to say next. "Hiccup…you can talk to me, you know that, right?" She took his timid nod as enough impetus for her to continue. "Then don't keep… _whatever_ that was inside to where it can eat away at you. Tell me…what was that all about? Did Viggo punish you then…when you ran away? "

Hiccup's breath caught in his throat at the question, so he nodded again before swallowing thickly and taking another breath to speak. "It…um, s'not just…wasn't only that, though."

Hearing the strain in his voice, Astrid slid her hand from his forearm and carefully linked her fingers with his. "Then whatever it was…we'll work through it _together_ ," she reassured him with a softness she didn't even realize she was capable of showing. "Please, Hiccup…talk to me."

" _Start talkin', Hiccup."_

The echo of words from the night before – such similarity in their subject matter but such contrast in their delivery – suddenly came to Hiccup and gave him a much-needed, though reluctant starting point. "Okay…" he opened up nervously, "so, um…last night when I was tellin' you all about my past, when you asked me to start from the beginning… _I did_ , I swear!" his voice rose in volume, self-preservation instincts kicking in for a couple of brief seconds before it abruptly fell once again, his shoulders slumping along with it. "Only I kind of _didn't._ "

"What do you mean?" Astrid kept herself composed and calm in knowledge of the fragility of the moment, not wanting to scare the boy back into his shell with the irritation his cryptic statement might've otherwise caused.

"I mean I didn't go far back enough." Hiccup glanced down at their joined hands, too focused on getting everything off his chest now to even blush. "I may not remember much of it, but I had a life before Reaper Island, Lady Astrid…a life _far away_ from it."

The young woman's azure eyes widened in shock. "You mean…you mean you weren't born here?" Hiccup shook his head. "Then where were—"

"I don't know where I was born," the brunet interrupted, solemn emerald eyes gazing into hers. "All I know is that it wasn't here and the Grimborns weren't my real family…and then finally what I was told by Viggo after h-he...after…a-a-after my…"

"Hiccup…?" Astrid could only watch helplessly as the green orbs began to glaze over again, squeezing his knee and his hand repeatedly and harder than before but to no avail. "Hiccup… _Hiccup_! Come back to me…"

TBC…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: Okay, folks…prepare to be taken – taken to another dimension…one of sight, sound, and mind. You are about to enter…the flashback zone! *creepy music blares with thunder and lightning* Coming next chapter (or at least a portion of it)…provided that, like Hiccup hopefully will with Astrid, you all _come back to me_ … so please do!

P.S. – Virtual treats to anyone who gets the above pop-culture reference…please speak up, it'll make me feel a little less old, *sniffle*.

Everlight18: Haha, you can't miss an opportunity for the gesturing joke! ;-)

And I'm glad you enjoyed Sharpshot's makeover! Yep, it's too soon for dragons (for now!) but I've always seen a few of the dragon species as very cat-like anyway, so…there you go! Also, being the cat person I am, I've read up on how cats were actually pretty important to Viking society – not only as mousers but even as symbols of divinity…a kitten was a traditional gift for newlywed couples, in fact, to honor one of the Norse goddesses (Freya, I'm pretty sure it was, because her chariot was pulled by two large cats). There's even a breed called the Norwegian Forest Cat that is descended from cats that travelled as mousers aboard Viking ships…I know that because my aunt is a proud owner of one (the cat, not a Viking ship, lol)! And hey, there has even been a cat in the HTTYD film shorts – it pops up a couple times in the 2-D animated _Book of Dragons_! So, not that weird of a creature to have show up in the end…Viggo keeps him only as a mouser, but naturally our sweetie Hiccup would befriend the little guy, and names him Sharpshot (for the fun of the fandom), hehe!

Aaaand I got carried away on cat-talk (no surprise! LOL). Anyway, I'm so very glad that you found the back-story and the Saber reveal as that good! That was one of the things I labored on and wrestled with the most on tying together, as its one of the essential story threads, so I'm super-relieved it makes sense! We'll get the rest of the (back)story next chapter…and yes, poor Hiccup is the ultimate self-guilt tripper – sometimes I hate how he does that to himself, but at the same time I love that he's rarely ever one to blame others. I'm glad they portray it that way in _canon_ as well, as he was definitely a bullying victim there at first too…so it was honestly just keeping him in character. Thanks again so much for your faithful feedback!

Guest: Thank you so much as well! I really appreciate hearing that as throughout my writing of this story, all the different situations – geez, I practically put them through a rollercoaster ride before all is said and done! – presented their own challenges…in the end I just fed myself on a steady diet of all things in the DreamWorks franchise and tried to get into the characters' heads as best I could to write according reactions. It's a real encouragement to hear that they're ringing true to the characters, and I hope they continue to do so, so thanks again!

Next chapter coming Saturday…we're having company, but despite that, I will give it my all to get it up no later than 10:30 (US Eastern Time, lol) as usual! :-)

-PWK


	8. Chapter 8

DISCLAIMER: HTTYD belongs to…*squints at runes*…to _this little gal and she rocks_ —OW! *rubs head* Okay, okay! HTTYD belongs to Cressida Cowell and DreamWorks…sheesh, Gothi, easy with that staff...

SPOILERS: This fic is considerably AU, so none except a few already widely-known aspects of plot and characters are involved. Warning for some intense flashback-violence in this chapter! Still safely T again, though.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **Boundless**

PREVIOUSLY: _"I don't know where I was born," the brunet interrupted, solemn emerald eyes gazing into hers. "All I know is that it wasn't here and the Grimborns weren't my real family…and then finally what I was told by Viggo after h-he...after…a-a-after my…"_

" _Hiccup…?" Astrid could only watch helplessly as the green orbs began to glaze over again, squeezing his knee and his hand repeatedly and harder than before but to no avail. "Hiccup…_ Hiccup _! Come back to me…"_

 **Chapter 7**

Come back to me…

 _Come to me…_

" _Come to me, sweetheart…come over here now!"_

" _Who are you talking to?!" snapped a heavily-armed and armored man, causing another one to laugh. The young redheaded woman's whisper was too loud and frantic to have escaped any of their ears._

" _Someone very precious to her, no doubt," the second man grinned as he stalked across the wooden deck of the tiny trading ship he and his men had just boarded…without invitation, of course. It was just no fun otherwise._

" _Now see here, bastard—"_

" _That's_ Ryker Grimborn _to you, peasant! Once merely heir to a dynasty but now the most fearsome chief this archipelago has ever seen!" the man yelled proudly at another about his age with brown scraggly hair and a substantial beard to match…likely the husband to the redhead if the way he was standing protectively in front of her was anything to go by. Too bad for him that he was weaponless… "So now that I've introduced myself, if you'll excuse me…"_

 _Quick as a flash, he skirted past the slightly younger man and violently kicked out at a group of barrels from which the woman's wide emerald eyes were continuously straying back and forth. A shrill scream sounded then, barely audible over the woman's loud cry as a small shape came darting out from behind them, scurrying as fast as its little legs could carry it._

 _Only a few powerful strides from Ryker were necessary, in contrast, in order for him to catch the escapee._

" _Well, well…what have we here?" the muscular man sneered, peering at the squirming bundle he now held aloft with a one-handed iron grip. His dark stare drank in the details of the tiny child – the full head of reddish-brown hair that was the perfect combination of his father and mother, the big green eyes he shared with the latter, the freckles dotting the innocent young face_ …gods, _was this going to be fun._ " _Aren't you just the cutest little thing…" he simpered mockingly, eyes on the boy's now hysterical mother as he reached out and poked the child's button nose with his stubby finger, eliciting a loud whimper._

" _Nuh!" The tyke's chin began to visibly quiver. "Mmmm-mama, p-p-papa…?"_

" _LET HIM GO!" the father roared in response to his son's distress, looking every bit intent on ripping Ryker apart with his bare hands until the chieftain drew a jagged boning knife, placing it to the soft cheek of the man's baby boy and causing the mother to shriek out again._

" _I'll have silence from the peanut gallery…or I'll gut this little whelp like the fishbone he is," Ryker growled dangerously, tightening his grasp on the petrified child in his clutches. "Just exactly how old is this kid, anyway…one? Two?" he couldn't help but question. The runt weighed next to nothing. He waited only a few seconds for an answer before his inherent impatience got the better of him, driving him to press the knife harder into the fragile skin beneath it and causing him to accidentally nick the boy on the right side of his chin in his anger. "I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!"_

" _He's four!" finally came the frenzied shout of the young woman as the boy cried and shook in fright. "He's only four…please, leave him alone…"_

" _Four?!" Ryker guffawed in disbelief. "You expect me to believe that?" He lowered and sheathed the knife temporarily to run a calloused fingertip over trembling, delicate pink lips. "He's so small I doubt he's even teethed yet, the little ru—AAGH!"_

 _He withdrew the digit immediately upon feeling tiny teeth that_ were _in fact there sink with surprising force into his rough skin, finding himself more surprised than in pain…but now more enraged than anything else. He heard the mother screech in panic, the father bellowing in outrage toward him as his bitten hand lashed back out to meet the boy's face in a slap so vicious it dislodged him from Ryker's other hand, the petite body tumbling to the deck limp as a ragdoll._

 _All at once the father came rushing toward him in righteous fury, but even so, he was no match for a trained warrior like Ryker. Within a second he had once again unsheathed the knife, its deadly blade pointed between himself and the younger man and the latter unable to stop his propulsion forward into it. His wife, already sobbing over her son's motionless body, screamed piercingly as she watched the weapon sink to the hilt in her husband's chest._

 _Unaffected, Ryker simply twisted the blade once and then pulled it out of the man with a flourish, smirking as the trader and father dropped to the floor of his own ship, dead. He then turned his attention to the woman, the noises she was making grating on his ears so badly that he intended to snatch her runt of a child from her arms and throw him overboard as a meager snack for the sharks and Scauldrons as punishment…but then he thought better of it. Perhaps he and his brother could use this young woman…and her little brat would naturally make the perfect bargaining chip to keep her in line…if the boy was still alive, of course._

" _Separate them!" he barked at his men, and they hastened to obey. "Is the whelp still with us?" he questioned the soldier who had possession of the boy, and he nodded in approval as the man gave an affirmative response. "Good." He then turned his back and walked away to steer the commandeered ship, smirking in amusement as the woman desperately tried to comfort her unconscious son before her rambling was –_ finally _! – cut off by a gag being shoved between her teeth._

" _It's okay, baby, you're gonna be okay, mama loves you so much, I'm not gonna leave you, mama—"_

 _Mama…_

"Mom…"

The whispered word sent a chill through Astrid after several minutes of nothing but silence from Hiccup. "What…?" Green eyes stared into hers, lucid once again but filled with an infinite amount of heartbreak that sent her own heart sinking to her toes.

"After…after _my mom_." The beautiful emeralds were suddenly awash with tears. "That was my p-punishment, wh-when I ran from Viggo the first time."

"I don't…" Astrid swallowed, filled with dread over what Hiccup was about to tell her but needing to hear it anyway, as his friend. _Friend…? Yes…I'm his friend now. And I'm listening…_ "Hiccup, I don't understand."

"I was kidnapped, Lady Astrid. From a trading ship, when I was four years old, by Viggo's older brother and the standing chief at that time, Ryker. My father owned the ship and went down fighting, killed – _murdered_ – by Ryker, doin' all he could to defend me and my mother…I learned all about that part 'cause Ryker would brag about it to me every now and again, adding detail as I got older just to hurt me. And my mom…"

He blinked, and a tear slipped down his freckled cheek, running over the faint scar beneath the right corner of his mouth that had been put there all those years ago. "Mom was taken along with me. Like I said, I don't _personally_ remember any of it except for snatches here and there of words and faces; I think I must've been drifting in and out of unconsciousness at the time since Ryker gave me a blow to the head, or maybe I was just too young and sixteen years has been too long…but I know we must've been separated really quickly once Ryker brought us here. 'Cause I…I didn't s-see her again till years later and b-by that time…" His gulp could be both heard and seen, Adam's apple bobbing in his slender throat as he recomposed himself to finish his sentence. "By that time, I didn't even know for sure who she was…"

"And then…?" Astrid gently prompted when he hesitated too long. She absolutely hated to make him go on any further, but she felt it was unfortunately necessary to cleanse him of the guilt she suspected he harbored. And as he spoke on at her wheedling, her suspicions were only confirmed.

"I had to be _stupid_ ," Hiccup spat out, self-loathing evident in his tone. "I had to test the limits…'cause up to that point, it had always been Ryker and Viggo _together_ parading me around as their baby brother, but when I was about twelve…that changed. Ryker set out on another raid…but this time he never came back."

"I remember mention of his disappearance back then since he was chief," Astrid said quietly before rolling her eyes. "Much like with the dragon attack deaths – make that maybe _everything_ with this tribe, I'm beginning to think – it was all hearsay…no concrete facts."

"That's the Reaper way," Hiccup verified. "Gotta keep that reputation invincible and spotless." He shook his head in disgust. "And predictably, Viggo didn't mourn for long…or nearly at all. He just jumped right into power and picked up where Ryker left off…on everything _including_ me. But like I said, I was stupid…" The guilt flooded back into his voice and his gaze as it fell to the leaf-littered ground. "I thought that since Viggo had never been the one to threaten to kill my mom if I didn't play my part as Saber…that since it had always been Ryker to do that…I thought she'd be safe if I tried rebelling and..."

Astrid clutched his hand again tightly as his words trailed off. She had a horrible feeling she knew exactly where this was going and was intent to let him know he had her support, no matter what.

"I-I w-was wrong," Hiccup finally choked out. "I th-thought that Viggo was the lesser of two evils, that h-he'd just l-let me off easy instead of the threats a-and sometimes physical stuff that Ryker did…but gods was I _wrong_." Another tear flowed down Hiccup's face, hanging off his chin before dripping onto their intertwined hands. "I'd been ordered to get my act together as Saber that day, a tribe was visiting and Viggo needed me in character…but instead of obeying, for the first time I ran when everyone's back was turned on me. They f-found me near the slave barracks j-just minutes later…some escape, right?" He laughed bitterly. "But…but I was tryin' to find my mom, and we were gonna get outta there. I was gonna get her and myself out."

He looked up at her then, and Astrid felt tears welling in her own eyes no matter how hard she tried to hold them back…it was even harder to do so than when she was telling her own story of misfortune to him just the night before. Dealing with her own hurts was one thing…but now she realized that seeing bright and bubbly Hiccup hurting, _truly_ hurting, was entirely another.

"Instead, right after the other tribe left, I got myself thrown into a prison cell, an _isolation_ cell…no windows or slivers of light _anywhere_ once the door shuts on you." Hiccup fought a full-bodied shudder at the memory. "I was in there for two days, no food and only enough water to keep me alive, but periodically Viggo sent his soldiers to bang on the door, or to rasp metal against it or sometimes just to barely scratch on the walls…all of it just to freak me out, 'cause I couldn't see it and I didn't ever know what it was or where it was comin' from or _when_ it was coming…" At this, he let the shudder run its course. "Viggo's torture method wasn't physical…it was psychological. And it worked. I came outta there half-starved and half-blind to any light, jumpy at every little sound or motion. And when my vision finally adjusted, I s-saw Viggo s-standing th-there…a-a-and h-he…"

Astrid waited, patiently, as Hiccup braced himself for the final part of his tale. She had no doubt this part was the hardest, and she was willing to hold out however long it took for the dam to finally break…determined to be there for him in the aftermath.

"He said ' _this is what happens when you disobey me_ ', and he…he h-had this woman," Hiccup whispered, so soft and so sad that the entire forest seemed to stop and listen along with Astrid. "Her hair was cut off really short and patchy, but it was r-red…and her eyes were…"

His gaze flickered down to their linked hands before coming up to meet hers again, and when it did, Astrid knew what he was going to say before he even said it…especially since she had said the words – and once again _thought_ them as she looked at him – herself.

"Really green," Hiccup finished, voice impossibly softer than it had been even seconds ago. "And I knew…she was m-my mom, a-after all those years there she finally was. A-and-and she opened her mouth the s-second she saw me…there was this _look_ like she knew who I was too and she was about to say my name I think and then she c-couldn't 'cause Viggo looked at me and slit her throat right in front of me before she could say it and I—"

Astrid's stomach twisted into a knot as Hiccup's panicked rambling ultimately broke into a strangled sob, and when he punctuated the tragic story with his next words, there was no stopping her inappropriate but overwhelmingly instinctive reaction to his pain…her engagement to the horrid man who did all those wrongs to the boy be _damned to Hel_.

"I n-never even g-got to hear my r-real name…"

She rose from her crouched position at this, pulling Hiccup to his feet along with her and then wrapping her arms around the shattered young man, one hand on his trembling back and the other pressing soothingly against the nape of his neck, holding him to her with a care she now knew that he had no memory of ever experiencing. She felt his tears dampen the neckline of her top and found herself blinking rapidly to keep her own from falling.

"My s-stupid f-fault…" the boy kept repeating through his tight throat, shallow breaths hitting her skin in staccato puffs. "An'…n'then he said m-my mom wasn't th'only—only slave in his pen, an' if I ever r-rebelled again he…he'd j-just kill another one an' it'd be all 'cause of me…all my stupid _fault_ …"

As badly as Astrid wanted to immediately correct him, she allowed him to keep talking…to completely release his guilt. They stood like that for what she estimated were several minutes – she didn't give a flying heap of dragon dung how many – until his quivers began to still and he tiredly lifted his head from her shoulder, tears having ceased their flow to leave his eyes bloodshot and their lids slightly swollen, his long lashes still clumped together from the lingering moisture.

Despite the mess, she could still see that stunning emerald green shining through, and she all at once knew then what to say to him...or at least how to _start_ saying it.

"It's not your fault, Hiccup…you hear me?" She playfully flicked his auburn bangs, deep chestnut brown laced through with vivid red...his mother was present in those striking features and in his fortitude, his father present in the young man's courage and character. "You get that past all this hair and into your thick skull…it is _not. Your. Fault_." She waited until she had his full attention before continuing. "Your mother and father would be so proud of you, of the kind of man you are today and how much you've endured…and from all you've told me, I don't doubt their love for you for a second."

She held his enraptured stare…gods, he was looking at her _like she hung the moon_ , all that awe over compliments and encouragement that she was just throwing out as she went along…

But since she was going where her heart led her to go with the words, that made them only all the more honest. So she kept on. "And that means they would _never_ have wanted it to be you instead of them. You're not what they died because of, Hiccup…you're what they _lived for_. And you keep them alive every day, in _you_. So now you…"

She swallowed nervously… _gods, that was a lot of 'you's, why can't I be better at this…?!_

When she saw those green eyes still locked on hers, though, wide with amazement and glistening with what maybe, possibly looked like _hope_ …she found all the motivation she needed to stick with it.

"You live for them," she finished. "Live for them and live for you, to find your peace because that's what they would want for you, and…it's also what you deserve. You deserve to be happy, Hiccup." She lightly took his hand again. "And that means letting go of the guilt…letting go of the past and being, well… _Hiccup_." She smiled affectionately at him. "You may not have ever known your real name…but I know you as Hiccup, and that's _more_ than good enough for me. Because you know what…?" Her fingers tightened around his in a warm squeeze. "Hiccup is a pretty amazing person, if I do say so myself…and I certainly do."

The tears that shimmered as he gazed into her beautiful blues were entirely different from the ones he had been shedding. He could the feel the joy flooding his eyes as well as his heart and his very _soul_ , because this girl _cared_ …she honest to gods truly _cared_ about him enough to have been his tether in the emotional storm he'd just gone through, her roots reaching deeper and holding firmer than even those of the tree stump he had been sitting on…her guiding light shining brighter than all the darkness that had tried to drown him and bringing him back safe from it… _Out of the woods._

He was no longer all alone in the world, searching for a person to whom his existence and his experiences _mattered_. He had found one…he finally had a friend.

So he let all those emotions pour into his voice and said the only thing he knew to say…the only thing he _could_ say feeling as overwhelmed – in an entirely _good_ way, though – as he was at the moment. "Thank you, Lady Astrid… _so, so much_ ," he breathed. "I'll be fine now, I think…a-and if ever again I'm _not_ …I'll be sure and face it with your help instead of hiding from it alone."

"Exactly what I wanted to hear," she approved, returning his soft, sincere smile. "Now," she nodded her head to the parts of the forest that still lay beyond them. "Shall we keep going?"

"Yeah," Hiccup earnestly replied, already heading back to retrieve the wheelbarrow. "Indeed we shall," he grinned with more enthusiasm as he reached it and once again began to push the contraption forward. "The cove awaits!"

"Looking forward to seeing what the hype is all about," Astrid mused as she took up her place, now walking by his side instead of in front of him. "So, hey…when are you gonna tell me all about how you discovered this place?"

"That," Hiccup winked, "is a story for another time."

TBC…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: Aww, hooray for further HxA bonding! But yes, now the truth is finally revealed about Hiccup's parents (who I think you probably realize by now, are _not_ Stoick and Valka in this AU…because I didn't want to kill either of them _unlike some_! *glares at DreamWorks*) A lot of you had been speculating as to their fates, and I know how it played out was tragic, but the Grimborns are merciless and it was all part of 'breaking' the stubborn Hiccup little-by-little. As you can see, however, he's not as broken as Viggo thinks, and now he has Astrid to help put some pieces back together, so…there you have that.

Everlight18: Ahaha…I was wondering if someone would pick up on that and be like, "okay, that was a little too easy" concerning Viggo's reaction to Astrid's total 180 turn…and rightfully so. Viggo is the mastermind, the Maces and Talons strategist, so…you are definitely right to be suspicious. And that's all I can say without spoiling any future happenings…

I relate! I tend to be a self-guilt tripper as well a lot of times…maybe not so much that I've gotten the 'sorry' tattoo threat, haha, but definitely to the degree that I was quick to pick up on that in Hiccup. My bout with bullying happened in junior high (equivalent of middle school now) and I always found myself asking why, why does this girl hate me so much, what did I ever do to her? But later on I realized that was just it – I _didn't_ do anything to her except present an easy target…in fact the whole stupid reason she started picking on me was that, back then, I had a bit of a speech impediment where I couldn't say my R's correctly. That, and I unfortunately also cried at the drop of a hat. I swear though, faced with that same situation now I would probably snark back at her to the point where she'd just give it up, ha! But luckily that's all well in the past…hope it all is for you, too.

I hope you enjoyed the rest of the (back)story…sad as the ultimate outcome probably was, at least the tentative Hiccstrid afterwards hopefully made up for it! Thanks, my parents and I have out-of-state family in for a visit and we took them to a coal mine exhibition – though we'd not yet been either, actually, what kind of lifelong WV residents are we, lol?! – so it was very interesting and indeed a good time…especially since we didn't get stuck underground, always a plus! ;-)

Oh and yes, Twilight Zone, you're correct, hehe. And hey, glad you found that story cover art and liked it! I see now how it appears as the avatar when you're seeing the story on a computer…previously I'd only seen it from my phone and the avatar doesn't show on that. Appreciate the feedback as always!

5eld5: Thank you so much, that is such an awesome thing to hear! I, too, have those stories – as you said – that I just go back and read again and again…and to know that someone already feels that way about this one is a real honor! And I get what you mean; it's kind of the way I feel about M fics…I will actually read them as long as they have a plot, and aren't just mostly horror or obscenity – some of them I've read have actually been very good. But with this story, I've kind of just tried to make it as gritty and suspenseful as possible without going into areas that I'm not comfortable with…it definitely isn't tame enough to be rated K or K+, but personally I don't think it's graphic enough to be rated M. I'm glad you find it enjoyable to read in that way as well.

And ha, I'm glad you enjoy my author's notes too…I find myself thinking as hard on those sometimes as I have parts of my actual story! So happy that you're enjoying it, though, and I appreciate hearing from you on that!

Guest (2): See a portion of the above review response. Having read both T-rated and M-rated fics on this site, I personally just do not think this story is graphic enough to be rated M…and I still stand by this position after reading this site's ratings guidelines, which I did before I posted it. There is violence and some intense scenes, and there is some suggestive language… _but_ the latter is only in a few spots and will never go beyond that, while the former is also relatively sporadic and not the main focus of the story. Plus, any profanity is very mild (as I'm not one for cuss words even in real life). Basically, I look at the site's ratings system like I look at the movie rating system…K = G, K+ = PG, T = PG-13, and M = R…and I just don't agree that there's enough of anything R-rated in this story to have to give it an M rating. I'm sorry if you don't feel the same way, but I am putting warnings with each chapter that has instances of darker subject matter (except for the prologue, which I made a mistake in not doing), and I feel like that's enough to give more sensitive readers a heads-up, while not scaring them away from the story (which is one that I think most people on this site can handle) with an M rating.

Okey-dokey, readers…getting back to the story content, I hope you all made it through that dustup – and enjoyed the little bit of calm that followed – before a _real_ storm hits…oops! Did I type that out loud? Guess so. ;-)

So batten down the hatches and y'all come back tomorrow (double weekend update!) for next chapter, ya hear?

-PWK


	9. Chapter 9

DISCLAIMER: *puffs up threateningly* Ohhh, _you sir_ , are playing a very dangerous game…keeping this much raw—authoress contained, _there will be consequences_! *deflates* But…I still don't own HTTYD, so I'm sure Cressida Cowell and DreamWorks will take their chances.

SPOILERS: This fic is considerably AU, so none except a few already widely-known aspects of plot and characters are involved. Warning for very brief physical abuse in this chapter.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **Boundless**

PREVIOUSLY: _"Looking forward to seeing what the hype is all about," Astrid mused as she took up her place, now walking by his side instead of in front of him. "So, hey…when are you gonna tell me all about how you discovered this place?"_

" _That," Hiccup winked, "is a story for another time."_

 **Chapter 8**

The cove, it had turned out, was a very beautiful and tranquil place…one that had in fact reminded Astrid of a similar locale back on Berk dubbed "Raven's Point". Much like that area, this one too had boasted a waterfall – though this cataract distributed itself over multiple rocks along the way rather than cascading straight down – a substantial lake, and several large, mossy boulders and rocky walls covered in vegetation.

Hiccup had been true to his word, knowing the landscape like the back of his hand and navigating himself and her easily down the somewhat steep terrain into the space, where they had filled four sturdy clay pots full of the fresh water Viggo had requested. Astrid hadn't been able to help herself as she'd cupped her hands into the lake and taken a sip for herself…it _was_ quite refreshing and pure in taste, she'd been surprised to learn. _Viggo should be pleased…_

Now, though, she was quickly realizing how mistaken that final, optimistic thought had been.

He was very clearly _not_ pleased as she and Hiccup strode into the dining quarters – well, _she_ had strode in, anyway. Hiccup had shuffled in meekly, head down, shoulders slumped in submission…just like he and Astrid had further practiced in knowledge that once back inside the village – and _especially_ in Viggo's presence – there could be no sign of the fast-growing companionship between the two of them. Astrid had made sure that Hiccup fully understood their roles – he the subservient slave no better than an animal, she the one holding and jerking his leash – but more importantly, she also ensured that he continued to understand it was _only_ an act. Foes on the surface…friends underneath.

She could only pray that Viggo hadn't yet come to see through their façade as he glowered at them from across the table.

"You're late."

She stood impassively, Hiccup bowed at her side, saying nothing in response.

"I had to fetch one of those dirty, disgusting slaves from the barracks to prepare dinner since you saw fit to keep _my_ slave out practically all afternoon!" The man's voice rose with every few words so that by the time he finished, he was shouting angrily. "And now said dinner is nearly too cold to even eat!" His dark glare pierced Astrid like an arrow aimed to kill, leaving a numb sensation spreading through her body. "Get over here and _sit. Down_."

The tension in the air was so thick that Astrid could feel in it in her throat as she walked forward slowly, almost as if she was walking to her own execution. But as the daughter of a chief, she was safe for at least political reasons…it definitely wasn't _her_ possible execution that she was worried about. She chanced a glance back at Hiccup, who still stood staring at the floor…which apparently wasn't good enough for Viggo.

"Did he even get my water?" the man asked through gritted teeth, and Astrid quickly answered for Hiccup's sake as she took her seat.

"He got it…I'm sorry we—"

"Then tell him to _stop being useless and bring it here_!" Viggo interrupted bitingly, slamming a clenched fist down onto the table and rattling the silverware.

Astrid immediately put on her 'mean slave mistress' demeanor…she knew she had to make this look and sound especially good. " _Boy_!" she shouted, glaring across the room at Hiccup, who once again skillfully reacted with a flinch instead of raising his head to look back at her. "Unglue your klutzy feet and get those pots in here, _now_!"

The brunet scrambled to obey, and Astrid inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. She felt like the tension was about to explode, and she didn't want her vulnerable friend anywhere _near_ the fallout.

"Oh, very good, dearest," Viggo sardonically praised. "Now why couldn't you have done that earlier today, say something along the lines 'boy, have that water back by supper or your master will string you up by your toes'…or, 'boy, if you're leading me in circles it will lead you to a beating'…or, how about a simple, 'get moving or die, slave!' What was so damn _difficult_?!" The Hunter stood from his chair at this and drove _both_ fists down onto the table, this time shaking it hard enough to topple a wine glass.

"Nothing was, I—"

"How in all the realms am I supposed to marry a woman who can't control one _scrawny little slave boy_?!" Astrid shrunk back into her chair at the intensity of Viggo's bellowing, not even her strong shield-maiden core knowing what to do in the face of such ire. "I grant you just an ounce of responsibility and this is how you repay me, by keeping me waiting for dinner and the item for which I asked!"

"The stupid boy just got lost a little!" Out of the corner of her eye, Astrid noticed Hiccup had reentered the room to begin shelving the water pots and mentally cursed. "He took a wrong turn that had us looping around for a bit but it _wasn't_ anything I _allowed_ him to do, either wittingly or unwittingly!" She cast a harsh glare the young man's way that she hoped looked convincing. "And believe you me, I plan to punish him after dinner for it but—"

"You're relieved of duty." Viggo's voice was suddenly infused with an eerie calm.

"What…?" Astrid's, in contrast, was anything _but_ as her eyes whipped back to him. "What do you mean, I—"

"I mean that slave boy is no longer your concern," he coolly cut in, and Astrid internally panicked.

 _No... no NO, he_ is _my concern, he's my friend, there's no way now I_ can't _be concerned for him! You can't…you_ can't…

"You can't do that!"

Viggo's scowl could've both melted glaciers with its heat and frozen hot coals with its iciness. "Excuse me, dearest… _what_ was that again?"

"I said _you can't do that_! You can't pull me off the job after only one day on it, after only one—"

She saw the hit coming. She saw the man's hand raise, tightly clenching into a fist, and her mouth snapped shut as her whole body stiffened in preparation for the blow. A loud shatter suddenly echoed throughout the room and had her wondering for a split-second whether a certain compliment she'd often heard directed at her – that she had 'porcelain skin' – was literally true, whether or not her face had broken into shards against Viggo's knuckles…before abruptly realizing that she had never felt any impact or pain…

…and that the shattering sound hadn't come from her, or anything near her.

It had, instead, originated from a dropped pot of water that now lay in pieces and puddles on the floor at Hiccup's feet.

 _Oh gods…_

Astrid's stomach somersaulted in dire apprehension as she looked at those wide emerald green eyes from across the room, only they weren't looking back at her but rather locked with Viggo's in a plea for mercy as Hiccup crouched to hastily gather the broken shards. Imploring words then began to likewise spill from the boy's trembling lips as his gaze flicked frantically back and forth between his busy hands and his cruel master, who had now stepped away from the table and began to stalk toward his slave in insensate fury.

 _No, NO,_ NO _!_

Every fiber of Astrid's being screamed in terror at what was about to happen, her blood turning so cold that it felt as though it had ceased its flow. She wanted to shout for Viggo to stop. She wanted to get up and throw herself in front of Hiccup to protect him. She wanted to _just do something_!

But there was nothing – absolutely _nothing_ – she could do except watch powerlessly as Hiccup stood back up to Viggo's level…only to be viciously knocked down to the floor upon his master's fist meeting the side of his throat in a strike blind with white-hot rage. Astrid barely managed to suppress a gasp of unbridled horror as the man stepped over Hiccup's sprawled, motionless body, wrinkling his nose haughtily as if he had stepped _in_ something before turning to her with a blank, remorseless look.

"Clean that mess up."

She waited, shock and fear thrumming through her body until she heard Viggo's departing footsteps recede out of hearing range and the door of his room slam shut, before finally moving as fast as her legs could go to Hiccup's still form. "Oh gods…" She slid to her knees at his side. "Oh gods, _Hiccup_ …"

The boy's eyes were closed, his body limp…not a sign of life on display as Astrid's blue orbs roved desperately over him. His long neck was flung back from the force of the blow, the site of impact on the side of it just under his jaw line, his own porcelain skin already turning grotesque shades of red and purple beneath light scatterings of freckles. Her hand plagued with tremors of uncertainty, Astrid carefully and gently as possible pressed two fingers to his pulse point…

 _Th-thump…th-thump…_

Unconscious. Not dead… _not dead!_

Astrid could've nearly slumped to the floor in unconsciousness herself with the amount of sheer relief she felt. But she kept it short-lived out of necessity; she could see the puffiness even now starting to become visible around the large bruise on Hiccup's neck…she knew she had to get the swelling down, for fear it would somehow end up obstructing his breathing if she didn't.

With effort worthy of a Thawfest games grand champion, she lifted Hiccup from the floor with her left arm under his knees and the right one wrapped around his slim shoulders. She grunted…the young man probably barely weighed more than her and that was only due to the extra inches – _certainly_ not due to any extra layers of fat…but at the moment he was also _dead-weight_ , making that lanky body of his as awkward to maneuver as they came.

She twisted around with Hiccup dangling from her grip to face the exit, wincing as she accidentally swung his long legs into the shelf he had been arranging the water pots on before the hit. A couple of loud clangs reverberated throughout the room as two more vessels were dislodged enough to slide off onto the hardwood below, but unlike the one Hiccup had dropped, this pair didn't break.

 _Wait a minute…they didn't break? Great Odin's ghost,_ they didn't break _!_

Filing that information away for later use, she staggered to the doorway and checked to make sure there were no prying eyes before moving into and on down the hall with her precious burden, finding the set of stairs leading to the basement floor within a minute or two and turning herself sideways in order to get Hiccup down the narrow passage. What was more ungainly for her was also safer for him…gods knew he didn't need even _more_ bruises to add to his injuries. She shambled and shuffled until she reached the bottom, entering the shadowy corridor and quickly spotting the tapestry that hid Hiccup's secret hole-in-the-wall.

 _So, we turned right facing the tapestry and the stairs face it too…his room is to the right._

She breathed a gusty sigh of relief upon seeing the substandard wooden door finally come into view. Shifting Hiccup in her arms, she reached it and kicked it open – thankfully it had no latch and swung inward instead of outward – and then stepped into the tiny room. Wishing there was somewhere else she could bring Hiccup to be treated but knowing no other place was safe for him, she huffed disdainfully at the literal bed of straw before deftly squatting down and lowering the young man into it with utmost gentleness and care. She then snatched both of the ratty blankets from the corner of the room and returned with them to his side, rolling one up and placing it behind his head to support his injured neck, while the other was used to cover him from mid-chest to toes.

The fact that the boy didn't wake once during all of her ministrations did not escape her…or reassure her.

Looking around the sparse room, she found that two of the only other three items in it could actually be of use. Grabbing them, she checked the washcloth first – clean – and then the bucket – also clean. Perfect…except, of course, for the fact that there was no water in the latter.

 _But I know where I can find some…_

Wordlessly, she rushed from the room, back down the hall and back up the staircase, putting her speediness into action until she came to the dining quarters again. After determining Viggo was nowhere to be found, she entered and made a beeline for the shelf upon which one intact clay pot full of fresh, frigid water still sat. Carefully she removed the vessel and hugged it securely to her chest before departing the dining quarters and heading back to Hiccup's room.

Upon arrival, she was dismayed to find that he had still not regained consciousness.

"Okay, Hiccup," she whispered, kneeling down and delicately tilting his head to the side to better expose the nasty welt on his neck. "Let's get this swelling down before it gets too bad." Pouring just enough water from the pot into the bucket to soak the washcloth, she did so and then tenderly pressed and held it to the bruise for several minutes, all the while murmuring soothing words to Hiccup even though she knew he couldn't hear them.

Lifting the rag for a second to see if any progress had been made, she was pleased to note that some of the redness had faded and the swelling had stopped. She rewet the cloth and then reapplied it with light pressure to the contusion for a few minutes more, before folding it in such a way that it could simply lay against his skin instead. She hated to leave him again, but the fear kept niggling at her that cold water alone wouldn't cut it as she screwed the lid back on the clay pot. He needed some kind of poultice or salve as well, she had decided.

Reaching out once more to affectionately brush a soft lock of hair from his closed eyes, Astrid promised Hiccup that she would be back shortly and then set off on a mission to find the island's healer…or at least the building from which they operated. In fact, she hoped that the place was empty when she found it, if only so as not to raise too many questions for which she knew she'd have no good answers. She used the crafty moves and paths Hiccup had taught her to successfully reach the building undetected…she knew she had the right one thanks to Viggo having pointed it out to her on their little 'introductory tour' of his village her first night there. The same night he'd had that slave nearly drowned in front of her…

 _The same night I first met Hiccup…_

Thoughts of the boy spurring her on, she snuck into the sturdily constructed hut, making sure it was unoccupied and that the door was fully shut behind her before she delved into raiding shelves and baskets containing the healer's supplies. After a few minutes of perusing, she ultimately grabbed two different types of ointment along with a roll of gauze that she could use to bind the cold cloth more securely to Hiccup's neck should it be needed. Satisfied with her haul, she stuffed the small jars and gauze into the pouch she wore on her belt – fortunately she hadn't seen fit to remove it after she and Hiccup returned from their forest trek – before cautiously opening the door and sneaking back out again. Hopefully the healer would never notice the missing items.

Her task now complete, she knew she was safe to casually stroll through the village on her way back to the fortress instead of slinking through it in stealth mode.

Or at least, she _thought_ she was safe…

"Astrid! There you are, dearest."

The addressed young woman sucked in a sharp breath as she heard that arrogant, too-proper voice call out to her. She turned her head to see Viggo leaning nonchalantly against one of the walls of the slave barracks, and she was filled with instant anxiety that he had been watching her long enough to figure out where she had been.

"Did you clean up that mess like I asked of you?"

She ignored the spark of anger that flared knowing that the 'mess' to which he was referring was Hiccup. "I did."

"And what _about_ the boy…is he still with us? Or do our resident carnivorous beasts get a nice meal tonight…if a bit lacking in meat on the bones."

The spark instantly ignited into a veritable _inferno_ at the awful, callous words. Gods, was that how they disposed of their slaves on Reaper Island? No burial, no proper sendoff via burning ship, but by simply throwing their bodies to ravenous animals to be ripped apart and picked clean? Bile rose in her throat at the thought of that happening to such a beautiful person, inside and out, as Hiccup…she practically had to gulp it back down before replying to Viggo again that the boy had indeed survived.

"Ah…very well, then." Neither relief nor disappointment was evident in Viggo's tone…she supposed Hiccup's fate didn't matter to him now that the Saber charade was over – though as promised for Hiccup's sake, she didn't dare let on to the man that she knew about any of _that_. "However…I did take a look through the slave barracks and didn't see him there…perhaps you might know where he is?"

"At the healer's," Astrid answered without hesitation, figuring he had already seen her coming from that direction and that she might as well make it make sense. "After you left, I went to him and asked if he'd go and get the boy…felt a little guilty disturbing the man for such a trivial matter, but then I remembered I was doing it for you and not the boy, of course…such a well-trained personal slave might've been hard for you to replace."

"I suppose you're right," Viggo sighed disinterestedly. "So you were checking up on him, then…saving me the trouble?"

"Yep – just making sure he hadn't kicked the bucket on you," Astrid retorted, injecting her own tone with similar apathy. "He hadn't, lucky kid."

Viggo snorted at her assessment. "That he is, that he is…seems that mangy cat he befriended has given the boy one of its nine lives."

"Cat, huh…I guess so," Astrid shrugged, secretly hoping that Sharpshot really _did_ have the power to do such a thing. "You did hit him pretty damn hard."

"Indeed…it should've broken his scrawny little neck," The Hunter sneered before shrugging as well. "But, so it goes. We have far more important things to concern ourselves with anyway, dearest. Come along."

Astrid's heart plummeted as Viggo started walking back toward his fortress. She tried her best to keep her voice calm even though her insides wanted to revolt at the prospect of going with him. But at the same time…she knew she had no choice. Not if she wanted to keep playing her part without a hitch. "So, where are we going?" she asked with a raised brow as she followed.

"To my war room," Viggo smirked proudly. "But rather than discussing battle plans and invasion tactics such as is the norm, we will instead be discussing wedding plans."

"Oh." The bile was creeping back up into her throat. She swallowed quickly and forced a smile at her fiancé. "That sounds delightful." Her stomach churned with both disgust and nerves as she walked behind Viggo, the jars clinking together in her pouch and providing her with a cruel reminder that she wasn't going to be able to keep her word to get right back to Hiccup.

Instead, she would be spending the remainder of the evening under obligation to play nice with the very man who had hurt the boy…a man who, consequently, she now could no longer stand.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Two agonizing hours passed before Astrid was _finally_ granted permission to leave Viggo's war room, and she did so as fast as her feet could carry her. It had been nothing but a marathon of mental and emotional torture for her, having to listen to the man's boasting on his favorite subject – himself, of course – and his war exploits. The stories of the atrocities the Grimborn family had committed over the years, of all the kidnappings and raids and killings, had made her nearly dizzy with nausea. She found herself actually _thankful_ when the subject at long last turned to wedding preparations.

Fortunately, this had been the subject to end their night as well and as Viggo retired to bed, his door closing behind him, Astrid took a moment to reorient herself to freedom and then made her way as quickly as possible down to the basement…the need to see Hiccup and know that he was all right practically a pang within her body. She jolted a bit upon seeing the young man's door was partially cracked – she _clearly_ remembered having pulled it shut before she left – and took a deep breath as she slowly pushed it open all the way.

The sight that greeted her flooded her entire being with joy and relief. Hiccup lay in the same position in which she'd left him, eyes still closed, but Sharpshot had managed to enter the room and had wedged himself underneath Hiccup's hand…which was now ever-so-slightly moving, stroking the little orange cat and eliciting loud purrs.

"Good boy, Sharpshot," she praised, kneeling down to give the feline a quick scratch behind the ears before turning her attention to his human friend. "Hiccup…?" She placed a light hand on his shoulder and gave it a careful shake. "Hiccup…are you back with us?"

At her nudging, the hand petting Sharpshot stilled, the energy it took to produce that bit of movement seeming to transfer to his face as mouth began to twitch and his eyelids began to flutter…the wonderful and welcome signs of a person coming back to life. She smiled as she watched those long lashes finally part to reveal that beautiful emerald she had been so longing to see… _gods_ how she'd missed those eyes. He inhaled and exhaled deeply through his nose, chest visibly rising and falling with the action, gaze never leaving Astrid's as he acknowledged her the best he could.

"H-h-hey."

TBC…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: And sleeping beauty awakens! Though not by true love's kiss…still a little too early for _that_ gig! ;-)

But have patience, my lovely shippers…though we may have some additional rather rocky waters to navigate before we have smooth sailing, a few more waves may just do wonders in tossing our two star-crossed youths closer together…

Well…as long as they can keep from drowning, that is. *shifty eyes*

Anyway, congrats to all of you who weathered that storm and thanks for the continued reading, follows, favorites and feedback – it's much appreciated and I hope to see everyone back for the Tuesday update! :-)

-PWK


	10. Chapter 10

DISCLAIMER: One drink of this magic potion, and I will have the power to make HTTYD all mine foreve _EEEUGH_! What the… _oh man_ …it's Yaknog! *gags* And you can _really_ taste the yak…

SPOILERS: This fic is considerably AU, so none except a few already widely-known aspects of plot and characters are involved.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **Boundless**

PREVIOUSLY: _At her nudging, the hand stroking Sharpshot stilled, the energy it took to produce that bit of movement seeming to transfer to his face as mouth began to twitch and his eyelids began to flutter…the wonderful and welcome signs of a person coming back to life. She smiled as she watched those long lashes finally part to reveal that beautiful emerald she had been so longing to see…_ gods _how she'd missed those eyes. He inhaled and exhaled deeply through his nose, chest visibly rising and falling with the action, gaze never leaving Astrid's as he acknowledged her the best he could._

" _H-h-hey."_

 **Chapter 9**

The sound of Hiccup's voice – weak and scratchy as it was from hours of disuse and likely also from the injury to his throat – had Astrid's heart soaring…yet aching for him at the same time. Almost immediately he broke into a small fit of gasping, painful-sounding coughs, breath wheezing in and out as he fought to catch it. Astrid's hand instantly went to his hair to soothe him, nimble fingers caressing the silky auburn strands and reminding him that he wasn't alone. "Don't talk, okay?" she whispered as she continued the motion. "You were hurt, you've been out for a while…don't strain yourself on my account."

Giving his hair one more stroke, she removed her hand to reach into her belt pouch containing the items she'd procured from the healer's stash. "I brought you some stuff that I hope helps." She opened the first jar of ointment, deciding it would work best for treating his welt, and scooped a fair amount of the thick white substance onto her fingertips. "Hold really still, okay?" When he nodded, she gently pressed one coated finger to the side of his neck, testing his reaction to the bruise being touched before applying the rest of them and rubbing in slow, circular motions. She felt his body stiffen a little at first, but then ultimately relax as she continued her careful ministrations.

"Wha' 'appened…?" came the hoarse but already more strongly spoken question.

"You were hit here," Astrid responded softly, finishing rubbing the salve into the injury. "By Viggo, remember?"

Hiccup took a minute to search his thoughts, staring blankly at the ceiling of his room before his eyes cleared in sharp recollection. "Oh…right."

Wiping her greasy hands onto the washcloth that now lay unused in the straw, Astrid echoed his statement with a little more force behind it. "Yeah… _right_." Much like he had just remembered the blow, she now also had just recalled the events that surrounded it…specifically her surprise discovery about the clay pots as her stare landed on the one she'd brought down with her. "That's all you have to say?" She blinked hard and turned her eyes, now glittering with anger, back to him.

"W-well…you did tell me n-not to talk," Hiccup got out with slight difficulty, causing the sudden tension between them to quickly snap.

"Now isn't the time for your sarcasm, Hiccup!" she quietly but pointedly rebuked. "When I was carrying you out of the dining hall, I accidentally knocked over two more of those water pots…they fell from clear up on the shelf, but you know the funny thing?" She glared at him, icy blue eyes boring into increasingly guilty-looking green ones. Just as she suspected…he'd known _exactly_ what he'd been doing. Infuriated, she stood and picked up the water pot that sat beside her before dropping the object onto the ground from chest-height, watching in satisfaction as Hiccup noticeably flinched at the impact.

She then quickly retrieved the completely intact vessel before any liquid could seep out around the lid, sitting it right-side up once more and re-pinning Hiccup with a stern stare. "They don't break from a simple fall… _do they_." It wasn't a question, and the brunet winced with the knowledge that he'd been found out. When he began to open his mouth, no doubt to offer up a defense for what he did, she pounced right back on him in determination to keep striking while the iron was hot.

" _Why_ , Hiccup?!" she yelled as loudly as was safe…and then her voice abruptly softened, all the ire draining out as quickly as it had come. "Why…why did you do that?" She lowered herself to her knees beside him again. "That pot would've had to have been _thrown down_ in order to break, not just dropped. Why would you do that for me…?"

His expressive eyes were as calm and certain as hers were questioning and stricken when he looked back at her, a tiny quirk of his lips causing her heart to skip a beat. "You just a-answered your own question," he said simply, the rasp almost completely gone now from his voice. "I did it for you. He was gonna hit you a-and all I could do was distract him 'cause I…I-I couldn't watch that." Raw emotion replaced the calmness upon the words.

"You couldn't…you—" Astrid choked out, incredulity overwhelming her at the double-standards of his confession. "And how do you think _I_ felt watching _you_ get hit?! Watching you take the damn blow when it should've been me?!" She was alarmed to feel tears pricking at her eyes but knew there was no stopping herself now. "It should've been _me_ , Hiccup…" she repeated in a gentler tone. "I saw you go down, and I couldn't even go over to you when I did because of Viggo, and when he finally left you were just laying there not moving with this huge bruise forming and I…"

Her hand stretched out then of its own accord, fingers coming to rest feather-light on his throat and relishing the steady pulse she could feel beneath the delicate skin. Scrunching her eyes tightly shut at the harrowing memory of having had to _search_ for his pulse hours earlier, she didn't move to swipe away the tear that escaped as she reopened them. "I thought he'd broken your neck," she finished in a heartsick whisper.

"Oh no," Hiccup instantly shook his head, mortified at the fact that he'd made the young woman cry when he'd never seen her do it before. "No, Lady Astrid, it's okay… _I'm_ okay." He caught her shiny blue eyes with his jade ones, smiling appreciatively into them before covering the hand she had on his perfectly _un_ broken neck with his own, squeezing gently. "Thanks to you."

"What…?" she furrowed her blonde brow lightly in confusion. "I didn't—"

"You brought me down here," Hiccup interrupted with the surety she lacked. " _Carried_ me down here, no less, to where I'd be safest, treated my injury…Lady Astrid—I mean…" His voice was full of wonder and gratitude. "There is no one else…absolutely _no one_ on this entire island…who would've ever done anything like that for me." He removed his hand from hers to reach up and thumb away another tear that was sliding down her unblemished cheek, warmth flushing through them both at his tender gesture. "I can never repay you enough."

"Well…consider us even after what you did for me," Astrid smiled back at him, taking that hand in her own and lowering both his and hers down to rest against his chest. "Even if your total lack of regard for your own safety did piss me off…that doesn't mean I'm not grateful that you had such concern for mine. So the thanks is mutual." Her smile widened then into an impish grin as she playfully winked at him. "Wasn't that hard to carry you down here anyway, string bean."

Hiccup's light giggling at her fond teasing made everything she had been through that night all worth it. "Nah, I suppose not with a tough woman like you. And hey…" He touched the hand that wasn't held by hers to the side of his neck. "My bruise feels better already…you're pretty good at that nursemaid kinda thing, too."

"Oh, you're sweet," Astrid laughed with a self-deprecating shake of her head. "But I'm really not…I just did some of the stuff I've seen our own village healer do when I or one of my family members was the patient." She smirked at the thought of the old woman. "Gothi doesn't say a word, but she sure can make a mean poultice."

"You paid pretty good attention, though...if I do say so myself." He matched her smirk. "And I most certainly do."

Butterflies came to life in Astrid's stomach. Gods, that boy sure had a talent for turning a girl's words from before around on her in the most insightful ways. She had to get out of this room _now_ before she lost control over herself and did something stupider than the things she'd already done. If Viggo had seen any part of their exchange, the man would've gone ballistic. She would be berated to no end, probably publically shamed, and Hiccup…well…he would likely be publically _executed_ , with her as a literal captive audience in the front row.

Swallowing thickly at the thought, she decided a change of subject was in order. "Your bed buddy is here with you, you know," she said with a nod to the space beside him. "I think we're keeping him awake with all of our talking."

"Oh!" Hiccup happily exclaimed upon turning his head and seeing the little orange fluff ball curled patiently next to his hip. "Hey there, Sharpshot! Guess you've been guarding me while I was out, huh?"

"Like a watchdog," Astrid confirmed, then backtracked. "Err…I mean…watch- _cat_ , of course."

"Dog…? Ohhh, she didn't mean it, Sharpshot," he cooed mockingly at the feline while throwing a wink at her in turn. "It's just in her nature to be insulting sometimes."

"I'll leave this water here in case you get thirsty or need it for your throat…toothpick."

"Always with the weight," Hiccup teasingly sighed.

"Mutton-head," Astrid fired back.

"Or not."

Astrid shot a glare at him. "No, I actually mean that one," she said with a shake of her head. "Yes, I'm grateful for what you did, but Hiccup…" Her fist met his upper arm before she could stop it in a swift, albeit controlled punch that caused him to yelp more in surprise than in pain. " _That's_ for scaring me!"

Because gods, had he ever scared her…but just as surely as he'd _saved_ her. And with that thought, her body once again betrayed her self-restraint. Only this time, her fist was replaced by her lips…and his upper arm was replaced by his smooth, freckled cheek.

"That's for…everything else." She stood so fast it nearly made her dizzy – _or maybe it was that kiss!_ – and turned to the door, not even looking back at him to see how hard he now had to be blushing…gods knew _she_ certainly was. "Get some rest, Hiccup," she bade softly, pausing as she exited his room. "You've earned it."

"Y-y-you too, L-Lady Astrid. Umm…'night."

"G'night…dork."

His huff of amusement could be heard through the door as Astrid closed it behind her, then leaned against its frame for a few seconds to collect her thoughts and analyze her feelings. Because yes, she knew for sure now, she had feelings for that boy…and thanks in no small part to her little impromptu smooch, she was beginning to fear that they were inching past the boundaries of mere friendship.

 _Gods help me…_

She pushed away from the wood at the realization and set off up the stairs for her room, hoping that maybe she could just sleep it off but at the same time, knowing it was impossible. Those vibrant green eyes, that bright smile, the shy and sweet yet witty personality…just the comprehension that all those and every other wonderful thing about him could've been gone from her life forever in the blink of an eye – or the strike of a fist – had been enough to bring her to tears. She hadn't even cried when she'd left her home and family, for Thor's sake!

 _What is that boy doing to me…?_

As she trudged warily and wearily down the hall to her room, she wasn't quite sure. All she knew for certain was that she couldn't imagine how it would feel to ever lose Hiccup now…

And she definitely never wanted to find out.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"You know, I haven't forgotten how disappointed in you I am, dearest."

Astrid winced at the cold words as she sat at the dining table with her fiancé, breakfast untouched. She had a feeling this kind of talk was coming sooner or later – she was actually surprised she hadn't gotten it when she was stuck in his war room – and had, as a result of both the subsequent dread as well as her conflicted emotions concerning Hiccup, experienced yet another night of tossing and turning. Not that the man now staring at her with his sharp brown eyes even cared about the bags starting to form under her blue ones, of course…

"Here I gave you a show of good faith…and you let me down."

"And I apologized for it—"

"Don't…" Viggo warned darkly. " _Don't_ give me attitude…it was hard enough to keep my anger dormant when last we spoke. And my patience is very thin as I have already been quite vexed today on how to handle the situation. On whether to keep my slave under your management...or hand him off to someone else."

"Someone else…?" Astrid's heart suddenly leapt into her throat, though she kept her tone calm. "And with the same slave…what about his injury?"

"What other one would it be," came Viggo's flat response. "And the healer's hut was vacant this morning, so it's safe to assume he was cured enough to be returned to his room sometime last night." He examined his nails idly as he spoke. "Furthermore, I care not if the boy is still in pain…his slipshod display with the water pots has _hardly_ earned him a reprieve. He will be going today to replace what his clumsiness lost me…and by all rights, this time I _should_ assign Scythe to escort him."

"Scythe…?" No matter how hard she tried, Astrid's addled brain couldn't place the name with a face…until Viggo did it for her.

"My loyal captain of the guard, dearest. I believe you've met…?"

 _Oh gods NO!_

It felt like all the air had suddenly been sucked from the room. She _had_ met that nasty brute of a man, all right, and there was no way she was letting him get his filthy hands on Hiccup ever again. Just the thought of the boy alone in the woods with that creep was unthinkable…so much so that her mind had gone blank on what to do, what to say—

"However…" Viggo cut into her rising panic, "I realize if our union is to be a successful and prosperous one, compromises must be made on both sides…and forgiveness offered. Therefore, I hope you will grant it to me in regards to yesterday evening." He attempted to smile sincerely at Astrid, but it only came off as sly and slimy to her. "I have a bit of a temper and sometimes I simply lose control of it. I never meant to hurt you or even my slave…not to _that_ degree, anyway."

 _Liar!_ Astrid's brain screamed at the man. But she held back and only assented. "Of course not," she shrugged, faking buying into his apology. "I have quite the temper myself, in case you haven't noticed."

"I have indeed." He smirked wryly. "We make a good match."

 _Like Hel we do!_ Astrid thinned her lips, silencing her inner thoughts, then forced a smile with gritted teeth.

"And for a show of the restored faith I have in you," Viggo continued, "I'm willing to give you a second chance with my slave and forego the use of Scythe. In fact…you can go ahead and fetch the boy from his room, if you will." He gulped down a final bite of his meal and pushed his bowl away. "Before the two of you leave for the cove, he can clear the dishes as well."

 _Oh thank Thor, thank Thor…_ Astrid gladly nodded as she quickly stood from the table. "Of course…I'll be right back." She swallowed her pride and bowed slightly to her future husband. "And my sincerest gratitude to you for reconsidering." _So much more than you know…_

As calmly and collectedly as she could, she then exited the dining quarters, waiting until she was sure she'd put enough distance between her and Viggo before quickening her pace. Only as she got closer and closer to Hiccup's room did the extreme tension in her body begin to slowly, finally abate…she still had her excuse to keep seeing the young slave. _I can still keep him safe…_

Astrid found the boy barely waking when she came in, and she couldn't help but smile fondly at the sight. His freckled nose twitched slightly, his dark lashes fluttering and feet shifting about he came to, seemingly as energetic and fidgety when half-asleep as he was when fully up and at 'em. Sharpshot popped his furry head up at her entrance, fixating his yellow eyes on her intently as if to determine she was a friend before apparently finding her worthy and then rising, yawning, and finally trotting off into the hall to go do whatever cats did in the morning.

"Good watch-cat," she quietly complimented as she closed the door behind the feline…but apparently not quietly enough.

"Unnnnhhh…" came a drawn-out groan followed by a languorous stretch of long limbs, both of which – along with the fact that he'd changed into his sleep shirt at some point during the night – caused a small amount of heat to suffuse Astrid's cheeks. "Hmmm…whassit?" She watched as one brilliant emerald eye cracked open, then the other, both of them blinking a couple of times before finally widening into full wakefulness…and surprise of what they had woken to. "As'rid…?"

She laughed affectionately. "Close enough."

"Okaaay…ummm…" He blinked again, harder, and rolled over onto his side to better greet the young woman now sitting next to him in the straw. "Soo…not that I'm complainin', but the first thing I normally see every morning is orange stripy fur…"

 _Not flowing golden hair like sunshine, or sparkling eyes clear and blue as the ocean…_ oh man _, could I_ be _anymore loopy and lovesick this morning—wait, oh no no no, I didn't mean to think the L-word even though she kissed me but wait, I only thought of it in the form of a compound word…yeah, there, see…? So, not so bad, just an accident, the kiss probably was too, like I said I'm just not used to waking up to a beautiful g-g—_ gaaah _! Stop that, brain…focus, Hiccup!_

"So, um," he cleared his throat in embarrassment upon noticing his voice had nearly been starting to squeak…almost as if his babbling _inner_ voice was threatening to break through. "M'sorry if I seem a little…ah—"

"Awkward?" Astrid supplied cheekily, causing Hiccup to blush.

"Yeah…" he surrendered. "Exactly that."

"It's all right," Astrid said with a pat to his shoulder. _Awkward is adorable on you anyway…wait, what? Ugh, stop that, brain!_ "So…" she cleared her throat as well. "You feeling okay?"

"Better than I was last night for sure," Hiccup answered honestly. "I think you severely underestimate your medicinal skill." He sat up and smiled at her, refreshed from a peaceful night's sleep…if that much pinker in the cheeks at the memory of the surprise smooch she had given him right before bed. "So, uh…what's on the agenda for today? You two eating breakfast this late?"

"Already did it," Astrid replied, standing to begin folding his blankets for him – and then abruptly pausing in her removal of the one across his lower half with a blush of her own. "You're okay to, umm…I mean…" Her gaze flicked from his to a random corner of the room to escape his endearingly bemused expression. "Uh…your leggings?"

The boy's auburn brows barely furrowed in thought before shooting back up in shock, completely vanishing beneath his bangs. "Oh geez, um, _yeah_ I'm good! _I mean_ —" The pink in his cheeks had turned to blazing red. " _Still there_! Still got 'em, I slept in 'em!" He frantically pushed the blanket off his legs and thrust it into her arms, almost as if it was burning him. "Here, all yours!"

"Why, thank you," Astrid grinned, having regained her composure even as the young man had lost his…and continued to do so.

"Oh gods, _n-not_ that you're my maid or anything, really I should be doin' this for you even though I'd never trespass on your personal space and—"

Her hand suddenly grasped his chin, effectively stilling the motion of his mouth. "Personal space is overrated," she smirked, playfully squeezing his burning cheeks before releasing him with a light laugh. "So, what were we talking about again before…all _that_?"

"Um…" Hiccup scratched at his very slight stubble – more to absorb the reality of Astrid's fingers having touched it than to convey any sort of deep reminiscing. "Uh… _something_?"

"Oh, yeah," the blonde snapped said fingers as it came to her. "Breakfast – Viggo got one of the barracks slaves to prepare it again…but he does want you to come and clean up the dishes."

"'Course he does…" Hiccup rolled his eyes derisively. "Gods forbid he should ever have to do such difficult manual labor." He winked at Astrid, his flushed face finally starting to return to a normal tone. "But don't tell him I said that."

"Not a word," Astrid smiled back. "But after dishes, it's back to the cove for us. Naturally, his spoiled majesty can't go without that water… _I_ think if only because it would mean he hadn't gotten his way. Perish _that_ thought."

"Astute analysis," Hiccup agreed as he pushed himself to his feet, then stretched his arms over his head with a loud yawn.

"But first I want to know," Astrid continued, quickly averting her eyes for propriety's sake from the slice of bare skin – flat, firm, and freckled – that was revealed as the hem of his shorter and looser sleep shirt rode a few inches up over his stomach at the motion. "I want to know…" _Dammit…focus, Astrid, before_ you're _the one all flustered instead!_ "I want to know that you're okay to make the trip…that you feel up to it."

Hiccup, ever oblivious to any involuntary nerves he had provoked within the young woman, flopped his wiry arms back down to his sides and nodded cheerfully. "Yep…takes way more than a fist to the neck to keep all this _raw Vikingness_ contained." He jokingly flexed one of his slight biceps at the words, sending Astrid into a fit of giggles that had his heart leaping.

"All right, then, manly man," Astrid returned his good-humored jibe as she grabbed the water pot she'd used to treat him off the ground. "We'd better get going…and I'm on thin enough ice with my husband-to-be already, so remember what we practiced."

"Got it! Defenses down, pretenses up…submission is my mission…the less of my nerve, the better I serve— "

"Okay!" Astrid cut in, shaking her head in amusement despite herself. "You clearly remember…" She snatched Hiccup's light green tunic from where it hung off the back of the wooden chair, tossing it to the boy. "Let's go…I'll wait in the hallway while you change."

TBC…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: What did I tell you about those waves, readers? Yep…though did I mention it was still hurricane season back when I typed this chapter – and now is once again as I post it? Not that my great little landlocked state of WV is typically all that affected by those, but…just a little figurative fact for y'all to keep in mind.

So, stay tuned for a big development next chapter – not a hurricane per se, but maybe just a little bit of lightning…and _something something_ …now how did that go again…? ;-)

-PWK


	11. Chapter 11

DISCLAIMER: Me coming to own HTTYD reminds me of that time I survived being submerged in a tank full of monstrous, man-eating eels by the mutant monkey-men of Minori-Majori! …Because neither actually ever happened, *sigh*. You're just not the best storytelling coach, Trader Johann.

SPOILERS: This fic is considerably AU, so none except a few already widely-known aspects of plot and characters are involved.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **Boundless**

PREVIOUSLY: _"All right, then, manly man," Astrid returned his playful jibe as she grabbed the water pot she'd used to treat him off the ground. "We'd better get going…and I'm on thin enough ice with my husband-to-be already, so remember what we practiced."_

" _Got it! Defenses down, pretenses up…submission is my mission…the less of my nerve, the better I serve— "_

" _Okay!" Astrid cut in, shaking her head in amusement despite herself. "You clearly remember…" She snatched Hiccup's light green tunic from where it hung off the back of the wooden chair, tossing it to the boy. "Let's go…I'll wait in the hallway while you change."_

 **Chapter 10**

Viggo had made sure to lay down the law for Hiccup and Astrid before they left, reiterating to the latter that should they take too long again, she would be out of a job and thereby out of his good graces for some time to come…and his young slave would be permanently turned over from her to Scythe to be kept in line.

For Astrid, even though she'd heard the threat mere moments before, it was still serious enough to make her inwardly shudder. But as she looked at Hiccup, it was clear that this was a new and terrifying prospect for him. His shudder couldn't be contained; it racked his body from head to toe though Viggo fortunately hadn't noticed, too caught up as he was in glaring at her.

She'd had to fight the urge to go over and comfort the boy then…but now that they were outside of the village, all fronts could thankfully at last be dropped.

"You okay…?"

Hiccup hadn't yet said a word as he pushed his wheelbarrow in front of him, too lost in the thoughts and fear that Viggo's warning had produced in him, it could only be assumed. Astrid tried again.

"You know I'm not gonna let that happen to you, right…?"

"I know," the young man finally spoke up. "It just freaked me out a little, is all…him sayin' that."

"Well, it doesn't have to," Astrid soothed. "All we have to do is make sure we don't stay out here too late again, and you're good…right?"

"Sure." Uncertainty still remained in Hiccup's tone. "But… _you're_ good, too, right?"

Astrid's heart warmed at the show of that considerate, unselfish nature he had in spades. "Of course I am," she reassured. "Despite the Scythe thing, Viggo's already been on earlier this morning about compromise and forgiveness and making things work between us." Her mouth quirked up at the sight of an auburn brow risen so high that it disappeared behind same-colored bangs. "Yeah, I know…I didn't think he had it in him, either. But I got the impression that so long as I don't betray his trust again, our marriage at least may not be _totally_ miserable."

She looked away guiltily from Hiccup then, toying with the end of her braid. The knowledge didn't elude her that she was betraying Viggo's trust even now, and hadn't stopped doing so for days…ever since she started thinking of the boy beside her as a friend instead of a slave. Probably ever since the night she'd saved him from Scythe and his gang…

But what Hiccup didn't know – and what his master could _never_ know – is that the young man had saved _her_ that night, too. He had given her something to hold onto when she'd had to let go of everything else she'd ever known and loved…a reason to hold onto _herself_ and not lose who she really was in Viggo's darkness. A darkness she feared might've otherwise already started to consume her by now…if not for the brilliant light that she'd found in Hiccup.

He kept her sane. And, just as with Berk, she was determined to keep him equally _safe_ …no matter what it took.

Her temporary guilt at all the ways she'd betrayed Viggo now gone, Astrid sent a soft grin and encouragement Hiccup's way. "It'll all be okay." He returned the favor with a blush and a sweet little smile of his own, and they walked on in companionable silence through the forest. It remained so all the way to the cove, which they had just neared the edge of when the peace was jarringly broken by Astrid's cry.

"Wh-who _aaa-agh_!" The blonde prepared herself to hit the ground as her feet slid out from under her, yet she could only flush with mortification when she instead found herself caught by a pair of lean, but surprisingly strong arms.

"Oh jeez, steady there, milady!" Hiccup exclaimed as he helped her to recover her bearings, almost immediately afterwards bleaching as pale as she had flushed red. "I mean, uh, not that word, _I meant_ —"

"It's fine," Astrid placated him, more concerned now with retrieving the obstruction that had nearly taken her down than with the young man's slip of the tongue. "What in Midgard is this thing…? It's as slippery as an eel!" She held out the strange oblong object, shiny and black as midnight, for him to inspect…and watched in confusion as every bit of color he'd just regained, _and then some_ , promptly drained once more from his freckled face.

"Astrid…? Ummm, not that I'm one to be givin' orders to you, but…" Just as quickly, he had spun away from her and broken out into a sprint for one of the cove's entrances, yelling back over his shoulder. "Stay there!"

"Hiccup?!" The young woman rankled at the words…she would most certainly _not_ stay there! "Hiccup!" she shouted, half in befuddlement and half in anger now as she took off right behind him, following with difficulty. For all his lankiness, the boy was near as agile as his feline friend, swerving and slinking through gaps in the rocks and scaling down them like it was second nature. His feet hit the grassy floor of the cove almost a full minute before hers, and she started to suspect that her outrunning him the other night had been a fluke.

"Astrid!" He frantically looked between her and a deeply shadowed portion of the area, his mop of longish russet hair that shone copper in the afternoon sun whipping around his face with the intensity of his back and forth motions. "I told you not to follow me! Go back!"

"Like Hel I will!" Astrid retorted indignantly as she ran towards where the boy stood.

"No, please!" Hiccup was practically begging now, green eyes huge and panicked. "This is…you don't—ohhh, man…"

The low, ominous growling sound that had just emanated from the space steps behind Hiccup had Astrid fingering the handle of her axe within a second. _What the…_ But the sight of glowing eyes appearing out of the darkness, staring at the unsuspecting boy she had come to care so deeply about, had her drawing said axe within a _fraction_ of that time. "GET DOWN!"

Oh yes, she was most certainly fast as she knocked Hiccup protectively to the dirt, shielding his body with her own, her deadly blade poised and ready to strike… "RUN! RUN!"

But as he sprang back up and dove for the weapon, slinging it out of her grasp and positioning himself firmly between the unknown danger and her, hands outstretched beseechingly…she discovered that Hiccup was even _faster_.

"NOOO!"

Astrid could only watch in horror and utter shock at his shout, pushing herself backwards in a crab crawl all the while as Hiccup switched his focus and his entreating gaze between her and a winged beast, the same midnight black as the object she'd found – a _scale_ , she now realized – and with legs that probably had a bigger circumference than Hiccup's entire waist.

A dragon. And not just _any_ dragon…but a _Night Fury_. The only dragon that no one had ever seen before…but what else could it be with that sleek, obsidian body and those toxic yellow-green eyes. _The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself…oh gods!_ "HICCUP!"

"No, no," the boy soothed her and the dragon – _wait, he's soothing_ the dragon _?!_ – with one astoundingly still-attached hand on its snout and the other held out to Astrid. "It's okay, s'okay. She's a friend." He looked to her then. "You just scared him."

" _I_ scared _him_?!" the blonde choked out, blue eyes blown wider than she knew they could go. Him as in the— _no, that can't be right…_ She barely calmed her voice. " _Who_ is ' _him'_ …?"

Hiccup thinned his lips before looking sheepishly between her and the creature again. "Astrid? Toothless." He suppressed a cringe as he then addressed the dragon. "Toothless…Astrid." A growl was the only response, luminescent eyes narrowed with slit pupils at the girl.

Astrid's fight or flight instincts were going into overdrive like never before as she slowly stood and turned. She really didn't want to leave Hiccup, but come to find out the boy was apparently certifiably insane, and _hey, the dragon seems to like him well enough—to_ like _him…the_ dragon _…gods in Asgard above this has to be a bad dream!_ —so it wasn't like he'd be in danger and—

"Astrid, wait!" She was unaware that her legs had started to move until Hiccup had to step in front of her. "I know how crazy all this looks and sounds and _is_ , but please hear me out!" His big green eyes locked with hers in desperation. "You have to give me the chance to explain…please, Lady Astrid."

"Hiccup," she breathed out disbelievingly. "That thing is a…a _dragon_! A damn _Night Fury_! The unholy—"

"Offspring of lightning and death itself, I got it," Hiccup sardonically finished with an exasperated sigh and eye roll. "Well, speakin' as someone who's actually met one before and survived the experience singe-free…I've gotta say that I think the poor guy just gets a really bad rap." He shook his head and threw out an arm in the direction of the beast. "I mean, just look at 'im."

"I _did_ look at him—no, _it_ —and I saw claws and an evil glare and _rows of teeth_ , by the way, what kind of name—"

"No," Hiccup cut in, and without asking any sort of permission took her by the upper arms and spun her from facing him to facing the dragon. He then crouched slightly and lowered his head to just above her left shoulder, hands still gripping her with gentleness and silky wisps of hair brushing her cheek as he calmly directed her gaze to where his was aimed. "Look at him _now_."

Shivers ran up and down Astrid's body from the close contact, and though she was well-aware she was probably doing the bidding of a lunatic by now, she couldn't help but listen to the that whisper-soft request that was so different from one of Viggo's stern commands. She unfurled her brow, truly opened her eyes…

And saw a set of green ones, now less toxic or threatening and more akin to Hiccup's own bright emeralds, staring back at her with rounded pupils and a curious – dare she think even _friendly_ – expression. _How in the nine realms…?_

"See," Hiccup's voice was as warm and solid as his presence at her side. "He's not what people think he is…you don't have to fear him."

"How did…" For once, it was Astrid doing the stammering instead. "Hiccup… _how_?"

"I found him when I was fifteen years old," the young man began, straightening to his full height and releasing his grasp on her arms to come and stand beside her. "Back when dragons were a common thing to see rather than the rarity they've become. But Viggo hated them for killing his parents…understandable, though I've really come to suspect the dragons were just defending themselves instead going on killing sprees, bein' so familiar with the history and personality of the Grimborn family and all."

Astrid snorted disdainfully. "Can't argue with you there."

"Anyway," Hiccup continued, "since he hated them so much, he and Ryker built these intricate traps and set them up all over this forest, in hopes to catch however many dragons they could so that they could do all of 'em in. They were hidden all over the place for years…Viggo only dismantled them when the dragons started disappearing. But five years back they were still up and workin'…and one was set up just outside this cove. It's the one that got Toothless."

"And where did you come in?" Astrid questioned with a look toward the dragon as Hiccup started walking to it.

"I found 'im in the woods. He was…shot down by this thing that launched bolas when triggered, all caught up in the ropes to where he couldn't move. I had kinda, well…" Hiccup paused to run a nervous hand up and down his arm, turning to look back at Astrid with shame in his eyes. "I'd kinda broken down that night…couldn't stay stuck in the cellar anymore, had to get out if only for a little while. So…" The shame receded a bit, a small smile now gracing his lips. "That's when I found the hole in the wall…my first secret escape." The smile grew when Astrid sniggered softly.

"Right…and you're fast and skinny enough to duck the guards," she added, proud to have turned his words back on him for a change.

"Ha, yeah…" he laughed quietly. "And believe it or not, I was even skinnier at fifteen than twenty." The hand went from his arm to the back of his neck, shyly rubbing it. "But yeah, so I ran out in the middle of the night – fortunately there was a full moon to see by – came here and came across Toothless, and then, well…"

"Well…?" Astrid prompted when he hesitated too long.

"I just…looked at him, y'know? Like I told you to do… _really_ looked at him." Hiccup turned back to Toothless, who had now gotten close enough to the boy to nuzzle his snout affectionately against Hiccup's stomach. The brunet put one hand atop the dragon's large, wedge-shaped head, showing Toothless attention even as his green gaze stayed focused on Astrid. She was mesmerized…seeing all of the emotions swirling in those jewel-like orbs was like seeing into the beautiful soul they reflected.

"And what did you find…?"

"I found…that I didn't see a _monster_. I saw another living being, just like me, who was trapped…a prisoner." He averted his eyes briefly to Toothless, who seemed to look back at him encouragingly, before fixing them back on her. "I wouldn't let 'im die 'cause he looked just as frightened as I was. I looked at him…and I saw _myself_."

"So you let him go…" Astrid's heart was overflowing with admiration and adoration for the brave and compassionate young man before her. No one else on this island…Hel, no other Viking she knew _period_ , would've ever had the strength of will and character to do such a thing, not for a dragon that was so feared and infamous…yet this boy had done it. And at only fifteen years of age, no less! His radiant light truly was undimmed even after all the darkness that had been dealt to him, and she was in awe of it.

"Yeah…had a little knife with me, luckily. Cut the ropes…I knew I was takin' a big risk, very well might be killed because of it…but unlike my own, here was an example of captivity I could do somethin' about." Determination infused his features at the memory of the moment. "I knew I could _end_ it. I could set him free…so I did."

"And what did he do?"

"Haha…well, first he gave me a near heart-attack, didn't ya, bud?" The dragon chuffed what sounded like a laugh at Hiccup's words. "Jumped on me…thought he was gonna kill me, but all he ended up doin' was sniffing me and runnin' off." He began to scratch Toothless behind the ear plates, and Astrid could've sworn that the dragon was now purring like a cat in approval of the action. "I kind of…ahhh… _blacked out_ for a bit after that, thankfully not long enough to keep me from gettin' back to the village before sunrise...lest Viggo snap and murder another slave on behalf of my AWOL-self, y'know?" The boy shook his head disparagingly, then quickly perked back up. "But that was the most fascinating thing that'd ever happened to me and I couldn't leave it alone…so I snuck out again the next night and went back to where I found Toothless. Followed a shiny trail of dragon scales that he'd left behind by the moonlight…and that's what led me to the cove."

"Wow…" Astrid remarked, fascinated herself by his tale. "And what happened from there?"

"We, umm…we kinda just…bonded."

"Bonded?"

"Yeah!" Hiccup grinned happily at Toothless. "It started 'cause I brought a fish with me for him…he must've been hungry 'cause he came out of hiding and approached me really slowly, till he was close enough to grab it out of my hand. Then he, ahhh…" Grimacing now, he turned back to Astrid. "He pretty much threw up half of it right back into my lap…he didn't want me to be hungry, either."

"Ugh, tell me you didn't—"

"I did," Hiccup immediately answered. "Almost threw up myself, but hey…it got him to smile."

"Smile…?" Skepticism dripped from Astrid's tone. "The dragon can—"

"Show her, bud," Hiccup interrupted confidently with a nod at Toothless, and she watched in absolute astonishment as the dragon's lips curled and parted into a bona fide, gummy, human-like grin and _holy gods what happened to its teeth…?!_

Hiccup must've seen the shock flashing through her brain and, thankfully for her, decided to alleviate it. "Hence the name 'Toothless'…" he smirked. "Retractable teeth."

"Whoa…" Of her own volition, Astrid found herself actually approaching the dragon, amazed by its sheer existence and _especially_ at the ease with which it interacted with Hiccup.

"He even draws, too," the boy laughed. "Though he uses entire saplings rather than sticks…and prefers to keep things a little more abstract." He shrugged with a wink toward the Night Fury. "He just wanted to do what he saw me doin', though…right, bud?"

"Wow," Astrid reflected. "Intelligence…mimicry…Hiccup, this is—"

"Crazy?" the brunet offered.

"Incredible," Astrid countered. "I mean, yeah…I _was_ pretty convinced you were crazy there for a while, but now…" She shook her head in wonderment. "I mean…you and the dragon are actually…you two are, ahh…"

"Friends," Hiccup filled in for her with a warm smile at Toothless. "Yep…even though we only knew each other for those two nights, dragons have long memories from what I hear." He looked back at her, emerald eyes twinkling. "This is proof that once you're friends with one, you're friends for life…and _you're_ my friend, too…soooo…" A beckoning hand reached out to her. "Wanna give it a try…?"

"Wh-what…" Astrid slowly, warily placed her hand in his, her faith in him strong…but not so much so when it came to the dragon. "What do I do…?"

"Just relax," Hiccup instructed kindly, letting go of her hand and leaving it in an outstretched position. "To look him in the eyes during this part is considered a challenge…I speak from experience. You've gotta just close your eyes instead and show him that you trust him…"

Gulping, Astrid did so, flinching when she heard the huffing breaths of the dragon drawing closer, nerves only settling once she sensed the steadying and comforting presence of Hiccup moving behind her to once again place his hand over hers.

"And now…" he breathed, "you just wait for him to trust you, in turn."

TBC…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: Enter Toothless! Who, let's be honest, is the _original_ Hiccstrid 'shipper'…crafty dragon knew what he was doing the whole 'romantic flight' through, if you ask me! Talk about your perfect wingman, a- _HA!_ …*rim shot*

Hope you're as happy to see our favorite 'useless reptile' as I was to introduce him…both tailfins and all, this time! So what's the rest of his story here, you ask? Find out next chapter!

Guest (that reviewed for Chapter 9): Thank you for the writing compliment, I'm glad you think so! And I appreciate the word of advice as well, but I can also assuredly say that you (and other readers) need have no worries on that…I will leave the darker kinds of stories to the authors who are experts at them; I have a very different "suspense" direction up my sleeve for this one. There are intense moments throughout for which I will give warnings (except for in the prologue, which was my mistake in not adding), BUT, there will definitely be nothing M-rated in this story (or in any others I may write), as I just don't feel at all comfortable taking anything that far…no offense to those authors who do, by the way. As for me _personally_ , though, when it comes to continuous beatings, gory torture, assault or prolonged brutality of any physical kind, it won't ever go beyond threats and (mildly-worded!) suggestiveness…which are present because I want my bad guys to be very bad! But _most_ importantly, I want to keep everything safely "T"-rated and will make sure I continue to do so. So I hope you can read this story at greater ease from now on!

Guest (that reviewed for Chapter 10): Wow, thank you! Those words make me very happy to hear – I really especially like the word "organically"! – as it was the way I wanted to portray their blossoming relationship…realistic and natural as possible. I've gotta say, as much I've always loved Disney movies, too, some of them really stretch the believability factor when it comes to their romances…for example, true love can't happen with just one dance, Cinderella! LOL. (But those movies are classics, so…oh well, haha). With my story, however, rushed or cliché was definitely not what I was going for – especially because it wasn't at all that way in HTTYD canon…so I'm super-glad the Hiccstrid isn't coming off that way to you here, either!

Another update coming Saturday, hope to see you all there and thanks for the continued interest and feedback! :-)

-PWK


	12. Chapter 12

DISCLAIMER: *proudly presents the next installment of my story* _I'm okay!_ *still doesn't own any part of the rights to HTTYD* _Less okay…_

SPOILERS: This fic is considerably AU, so none except a few already widely-known aspects of plot and characters are involved. Warning for brief mention of animal (dragon) cruelty!

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **Boundless**

PREVIOUSLY: _"Just relax," Hiccup instructed kindly, letting go of her hand and leaving it in an outstretched position. "To look him in the eyes during this part is considered a challenge…I speak from experience. You've gotta just close your eyes instead and show him that you trust him…"_

 _Gulping, Astrid did so, flinching when she heard the huffing breaths of the dragon drawing closer, nerves only settling once she sensed the steadying and comforting presence of Hiccup moving behind her to once again place his hand over hers._

" _And now…" he breathed, "you just wait for him to trust you, in turn."_

 **Chapter 11**

Astrid found herself hyperaware of everything at that very moment in time, which seemed to slow down as if to observe what was going on itself. Hiccup literally surrounded her now…the soft warmth of his hand and body covering her own, the feel of his chest rising and falling evenly against her back, his scent – clean and woodsy, like the sea breeze meeting the forest pines mixed in with just a _hint_ of the straw in which he slept – immersing her and infusing her with bliss. She was so caught up in all things Hiccup, in fact, that she had nearly forgotten about the dragon in their midst…

…until she felt the creature's nose gently press against her open palm, at which point Hiccup removed his hand and backed away in satisfaction.

"Open your eyes now, Lady Astrid," came that whisper that she could never refuse…and when she did as she was told, she could hardly believe the sight before her. The dragon's bright green eyes stared calmly into her wide blue ones, pupils dilated instead of slit and that same purring sound emitting from its – _his_ – throat. At her…he was purring at _her_!

"See? Told you there's nothin' to fear," Hiccup smiled. "Go on and give 'im a scratch or somethin'…he loves that."

"But…but all I did was touch his snout…"

"Same with me at fifteen," the boy shrugged. "Then when that went so well, I tried some additional contact… _reeeally_ tentatively, mind you. But he let it happen, never tried to hurt me and was even pretty affectionate…and you see how comfortable he is with me now."

"And you think he'll be as cooperative with someone he just met…who raised an _axe_ to him at first?"

"Don't see why not." Hiccup's expression was sure and completely at ease. "Like I said…now we're all friends, here."

"O—Okay." Astrid swallowed thickly, lips turning up tremulously at the dragon. "H-h-hey then, uhhh…Toothless, right?" She nearly jumped when the purring rose in pitch and volume briefly to become a loud croon, and she realized the dragon was actually answering her query. "Okay…well…I have to admit that this is pretty cool." She ran a careful finger up and across the creature's eye ridges, and Toothless pushed further into her hand with an appreciative rumble. "It's…amazing, really."

Glancing at Hiccup, she found him gazing in their direction and beaming bright as the afternoon sun, and she looked back to Toothless with a soft grin of her own. " _He's_ amazing…isn't he." The dragon cooed even louder this time at her subtly-spoken words, and with that she knew their undeveloped bond now had a solid foundation on which to start. It was clear how deeply both of them valued the young man who had saved them separately, and then on this day, had brought them together. "And you came back for him…"

"But what I don't get is why," Hiccup cut in, walking over to join the two of them. "I mean…Toothless did fly away once he recuperated from being stuck in those ropes, which I got the impression lasted a good while…long enough to need those couple of nights in the cove to get his strength back, at least. Viggo never really cared if the dragons were killed by human hands or just starved to death in the traps – sick as that is – just so long as they died…"

The blonde couldn't help but similarly balk at that revelation. While she and her tribe – like most all Vikings – had never held much love for dragons over the years, any of them caught on Berkian soil had always been granted a quick, clean-as-possible end to their existence rather than being made – or left – to slowly suffer.

"Toothless got lucky and recovered pretty quick, though, I guess…" Hiccup solemnly continued on. "And then he got completely off the island as far as I know…and thank Thor for _that_ , 'cause if he hadn't then Viggo would've found him. He saw his sprung trap – but no dead dragon in it – so he ended up following the trail of scales to the cove same as me, just three days after I did…but by that time Toothless was gone so there was nothin' to find." He smirked wryly at Astrid. "Except his oh-so important fresh water source, that is."

"So that's how that obsession got going," Astrid laughed, shaking the morbid thoughts of captive creatures wasting away from her head.

"Yep…and when he was sending me out with his soldiers to get some water just like a week later, I didn't _dare_ let on that I'd already been to the cove, too," Hiccup remarked with another shrug of those ever-bouncy shoulders of his. "The biggest part of me was just glad Toothless had gotten away...though each time I was escorted back here, there was admittedly a _bit_ of selfish disappointment when I saw that he'd never shown back up."

"Well, he's back now, at least…better five years later than never?"

"Oh yeah, definitely," the brunet absently nodded. "But, gotta say, said time lapse only deepens the mystery for me of _why_ he's back…"

Astrid had been examining Toothless closely as Hiccup spoke, roving her eyes over his streamlined black body…and upon reaching the dragon's left side, they widened substantially. She sucked in a breath. "Hiccup…I think I might know why…" Making sure she had the boy's attention, she then pointed to a deep gash marring the smooth scales just above and beyond the beast's back leg, near the base of his tail. "He's hurt…"

"What?" Hiccup gasped out, moving immediately to see what Astrid was talking about for himself. "Oh no… _ouch_ , bud." He winced in sympathy as he came up to give the Night Fury's head a stroke. "That looks pretty painful." He turned his head back to Astrid, thinking nothing about how he was exposing the right side of his neck to Toothless. "Maybe we could— _hey_! What the—?"

Toothless, however, instantly caught sight and scent of the damaged flesh there and was having none of it. Hiccup squirmed and yelped as, without warning, the dragon's large forked tongue set to swiping itself across his bruised throat, coating the welt in a thick layer of sticky slobber before disappearing back into Toothless's mouth.

"Uh…Hiccup?" Astrid tried but failed to contain the slight snickers escaping from her lips. "You've, ahh…" she pointed to her own neck, smiling, "got a little something, right about here."

" _Thank you_ for summing that up," Hiccup sarcastically replied as he prepared to wipe it off with the sleeve of his tunic. "I hadn't noticed, I was— _whoa_!" He found the action halted suddenly as Toothless caught the fabric of said sleeve between his teeth and tugged gently. "What?" Emerald orbs rolled to shoot an irritated look at the dragon. "I'm not allowed to clean myself off, you want me to leave it there?" He scoffed. "Look, it actually doesn't feel too bad…kinda tingly even which is weird, _but_ , Astrid over there already salved that spot, thank you very much, and now I…I…I…"

"What is it?" Astrid watched in confusion as his narrowed green eyes slowly grew to be as round as the full moon. "Hiccup…?"

"Now I…oh, _ohhhhh_ , now I _get it_...!"

"Get _what_? Could you— "

"Astrid!" He exclaimed, rushing back to her in anxiousness to test his theory, hands already flying about in wild gestures and almost accidentally smacking her in the face. "Astrid, look!"

He stilled his arm motions, only to twist his head abruptly to the left and thrust the right side of his neck inches from her face, treating her to a very close-up view of the garish bruise that marred the smooth, lightly freckled skin there…except it wasn't looking quite so garish anymore. She could tell, even through the semi-transparent film of dragon spit, that the contusion was substantially beginning to fade in color at a level it had previously never done.

"Whoa," she remarked. "That's, um…looking a _lot_ better, to say the least."

"Yeah?" Hiccup excitedly questioned. "'Cause it's _feeling_ better, too!" he added, feet practically bouncing in place. "I noticed it right after Toothless licked me…it actually started making the residual pain go away, kinda like a numbing thing. He was treating my wound just like you were, but if you say it's already looking that good, then…maybe Night Fury saliva has some sorta genuine, fast-acting healing property!"

"Huh." Astrid found herself as perplexed as Hiccup was exhilarated, watching the boy dash over to give a grateful hug to the dragon's thick neck. "Well, if that's the case…then why doesn't he use it to heal himself? I mean, even animals with perfectly ordinary spit lick themselves when they get a wound." She stepped back to Toothless's side to observe his gash again. "I mean, I don't think—wait a second."

Hiccup looked on, one slim arm still wrapped around Toothless, as the girl did a considerably decent imitation of him minutes earlier when he made his own mind-blowing discovery, her azure eyes enlarging and mouth falling open.

"Oh. _Ohhhh_ …" They flicked to the laceration once more before fixing on the dragon. "Toothless?" Waiting until she had the Night Fury's attention as Hiccup stepped back to let her work, she then quickly and roughly scraped her palm across one of the spikes of her skirt, pressing hard enough for the blunted point to barely break the skin. "Ow!" She winced, then nodded in satisfaction as the dragon whined at her distress and zeroed his gaze in on her hand. Holding it toward him, palm out to display the reddening scrape, she backed up until she was directly adjacent to the wound in his side.

Hiccup drew in a sharp breath, eyes widening in shock and realization, as he watched Toothless turn his head and stretch his large neck as far as he could behind him in an attempt to get at Astrid and heal her injury as well…but to no avail. She was too far back for him to reach in that way…

As was the dragon's own wound.

"You _can't_ heal yourself this time, can you, bud?" His greens met Astrid's blues, and a look of mutual understanding and empathy passed between them. "Oh, man…"

"Poor guy…" Astrid commiserated as Toothless twisted his whole body around to face her, obligingly sticking out her scratched hand when he locked his yellow-green eyes on it again. "That's the real reason you came back here, isn't it," she murmured while the dragon licked, "because you need help." Her self-inflicted scrape now coated and pleasantly tingling just like Hiccup had mentioned, she cast a meaningful look the boy's way. "And you remembered the person who'd helped you before…"

"Wow…you still trust me that much, huh, bud?" Hiccup's face was rapt with wonder as he placed a gentle hand on Toothless's snout, followed by affectionately leaning his forehead against it. "Okay, then…okay. Astrid and I…we'll see what we can do, deal?" The Night Fury warbled and nudged the brunet's face with his own, and Hiccup gave his nose one final pat before turning to Astrid. "We have to help him."

"I know," Astrid nodded. "And we will…we'll find a way. Hmmm…" She brought her thumb to her chin and tapped it absently in thought. "Maybe we can just let him cover our hands with his spit and then try to rub it on the gash before it dries up too much?"

"Maybe…" Hiccup mirrored her position. "But it's a pretty deep cut…it's gonna take a lot of saliva, likely enough of it to where the wound can drink it in like a sponge so it can get in his—" Long, dexterous fingers suddenly dropped from the young man's barely stubbly jaw to triumphantly snap together into the air. "Drink! _I've got it_!"

Astrid rolled her eyes. "And again, I ask…what _is_ it?"

"We'll use one of the pots we brought for Viggo's drinking water…only instead of fillin' it with that, we'll fill it with Toothless's saliva!" Hiccup enthusiastically rose up and down, and up and down once more on the balls of his feet before jumping up and taking off back in the direction from which they came. "Be right back!" he called over his shoulder.

Astrid shook her head fondly with a smirk at Toothless. "Yep…totally adorkable." The dragon chuffed in amusement and what sounded like agreement, and they waited together in amicable quiet until they heard Hiccup's footsteps loping toward them once again.

"Back!" the boy decreed with a grin, holding an empty water pot close to his chest. "I left the other two down by the lake since we'll still have to get Viggo's water, but for now…" He unscrewed the lid and held the open container in front of him, approaching Toothless until the lip was just underneath the Night Fury's mouth. "Okay there, bud…let's see." He wrinkled his nose in recognition that he actually had no idea how to go about the next part. "Can you, um…can you spit in this thing? Like…a lot of spit? Like, ah…ahhhhhh…"

Astrid couldn't stop herself from covering her face with her palm as Hiccup stuck his tongue out at the dragon, trying to mimic drooling into the pot.

"Ahhhhh…'ike 'is, 'oo 'et it?"

"Oh, for the love of Odin…" Astrid threw up her hands and marched toward the two clueless boys, shoving the human one to the side after snatching the container from his grasp. "Let the woman handle this one, manly man," she admonished, cutting her eyes at Hiccup before fixing them on the Night Fury. "Toothless!" The dragon snapped to attention at the firm command, watching as she put all of her throat muscles and salivary glands to uncouth, unladylike work to hock up the biggest glob of spit she could muster, spewing it into the vessel and then looking up at him expectantly. "Your turn. Right into that pot."

She then turned and handed the open container back to Hiccup, who now stood slack-jawed and wide-eyed beside her. "What?" she smirked smugly. "Girls can spit too, you know." He had no response to that other than to nod. She crossed her arms and observed in highly entertained fashion as the dragon copied her actions, laughter finally bursting forth at the disgusted look on Hiccup's face as what all of the huge amount of saliva – _boy can that dragon hock it up!_ – that didn't go into the proffered pot instead slimed him from fingertips to elbows.

"Ohhh, yeah…ha-ha. Ha… _real_ funny," Hiccup muttered cynically. He sat the half-filled vessel down before purposefully flicking a few strings of the thick clear substance off his dripping hands and onto Astrid with a scowl on his face. She only sniggered harder when it hit her leather skirt instead of her skin, and he groaned in exasperation. "Seriously…I'm really, pretty extra sure this stuff doesn't wash out."

"We'll worry about that later, Dragon Boy," Astrid teased with a wink, canting her head toward the pot sitting on the ground. "Important thing is that we got the saliva. Let's get to work."

"Right," Hiccup acquiesced with a sigh, picking up the pot and moving with Astrid around to Toothless's flank before passing it off to her. "If you'll do the pouring, I'll do the rest."

"How so?" Astrid wondered, and Hiccup grinned.

"Simple," he answered, walking back toward Toothless's head and placing a hand underneath his chin, close to his frills. "Just be ready for when I scratch…riiiiiight… _here_!"

Astrid jolted, but thankfully not enough to spill the saliva, as the dragon suddenly and heavily collapsed onto his right side, breathing in and out deeply in delight before totally relaxing his muscles. "What the…what _was_ that?!"

"Special spot," Hiccup replied. "Likes bein' scratched there so much that it kinda turns him into limp, liquid soup."

"And you learned all this in two nights?"

"One night, actually," the young man shrugged in response. "What can I say…I'm an overachiever." He stepped lightly over to her. "Think that's a clear enough shot?"

"As long as he holds still," Astrid said as she held the clay pot full of saliva over the Night Fury's laceration, slowly and carefully tilting it forward. "Ok, Toothless…" She grimaced as the thick liquid began to ooze over the lip of the container. "Here it comes…"

The two youths watched attentively as a clear, viscous rope of the stuff touched down onto the open gash, hearing a loud trill of approval from Toothless that spoke to instant effects and relief. Astrid kept pouring as Hiccup took to smearing the saliva evenly across the wound, making sure every part of it absorbed its fair share of the healing substance without regard to how gooey his hands felt. Toothless purred, eyes closed in contentment as the last strings of his spit dripped from the vessel held in Astrid's grip. Hiccup spread the final globs over the injury once more before stepping back from the dragon, shaking the remnants of the slime off his hands in revulsion and wiping them dry on his tunic.

"Thank Thor that's over."

"Yeah, no kidding," Astrid agreed. "That said, though, we should collect what we really came here for and start heading back." She tightened her hold on the clay pot with a nod toward the freshwater lake. "We shouldn't be late yet, but we will be if we stay out here much longer…we need to get that water and get going, Hiccup. Toothless should be fine, now."

"I know," the boy sighed, giving a wistful look to the resting dragon. "I just wish we could've gotten to know him even better, spend more time…"

Astrid inwardly shook her head at Hiccup's lament and the effect it was having on her. The longing in those big green eyes to see their new reptilian friend again was nearly unbearable to look at…and even more so to resist assuaging. "Well, then…" she breathed out, unable to stop herself. "If he's still here tomorrow…which he probably will be since he's in the healing process…we can come back and see him somehow, maybe."

"Yeah?" The bright emeralds flared with hope. "Even with Viggo and—"

"Leave Viggo to me," Astrid assured. "We'll think of something. But for now…time to wrap it up."

"Okay," Hiccup conceded quietly as he walked carefully over to the docile creature one more time, giving the scaly snout a loving rub. "See ya tomorrow maybe, ok, bud?" He smiled warmly. "Thanks for helping Astrid and I…and I hope we were able to help you right back." The Night Fury lifted his head to croon a response to the boy and then blew a warm, gentle puff of air onto his neck…his way of showing affection and gratitude in turn.

"Let's go, Dragon Boy," Astrid lightly teased with a guiding hand on Hiccup's bicep as she steered him back toward the lake and away from the Night Fury. "Take care, Toothless," she called back over her shoulder, and together the two youths quickly gathered Viggo's new supply of fresh water, climbed up to the cove's exit, and began their swift trek back to the village.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"You forgave her?"

"Yes."

"You let her keep the boy?"

"I did."

"Even though—"

"Your input and services in this matter are no longer required, Scythe," Viggo firmly finalized, slamming his quill pen down onto the document that he'd been writing. "I do apologize for having gotten your hopes up."

The words were laced with a scorn that caused the burly soldier to bristle…but in the end, he only obediently nodded. "Yes, chief…and no apologies necessary."

"Good man," Viggo commended with a pat to Scythe's shoulder as he rose from his chair. "Just for that, I'll give you something to do, after all…a simple task. Fetch a slave from the barracks to prepare dinner."

"Again?" his captain of the guard questioned incredulously. "Sir, with all due respect, what good is that boy to you now…I thought it was _his_ job to do such things and when is the last—"

" _Stand down_ , soldier," Viggo cut him off harshly. "You'd do well to remember who is the brawn around here…and who is the brains." His dark gaze pierced into the larger man's own. "I have a firm handle on that boy, as well as on my future bride…they are both but pieces on the Maces and Talons board to me at the moment. Mine for the moving and the manipulation."

"But I thought you wanted the girl to eventually be your queen…not just a pawn."

Viggo chuckled at his soldier's sluggish mind…the brute was forever a step behind him. "Oh, that I do, indeed…and this will come to pass soon enough, worry not." He plucked the scroll he'd been working on from his desk, rolling it up neatly before turning back to Scythe. "And a fine queen she will _one day_ make, I do believe…"

Scythe crossed his bulging arms. "Is there a 'but' coming…?"

"But," Viggo continued as though he hadn't even spoken, "she mustn't forget that it's _my_ game we're playing rather than hers… _I_ make the rules." He smiled slyly, tucking the rolled piece of parchment into his belt. "And if need be…I will _break_ them as well. Whatever it takes to win."

"And win you always do, sir."

Viggo's sharp brown eyes glinted at the endorsement. "Of course," he concurred proudly. "Now, Scythe, my fine fellow…go on and retrieve a slave like I asked of you, and bring them to me immediately."

"To the dining quarters?"

"Yes…I'm in the mood for an early supper."

TBC…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: Uh-oh…what's Viggo up to? Besides _no good_ – that's a given.

Oh well, at least we had some cute Hiccup-Astrid-Toothless bonding to counter it, right? Remember, as stated in the _Riders of Berk_ episode "Defiant One", Night Fury saliva has 'incredible healing properties' according to Hiccup…and for all the cheek he said that line with, Snotlout's swollen tongue did heal right up…so it works for me.

Hope everything is still working for you, too! Come back for more, if you dare…we're safely past the halfway point now. New chapter up tomorrow for the double weekend update! :-)

-PWK


	13. Chapter 13

DISCLAIMER: If I'm not the true and rightful master of the HTTYD universe, may lightning strike me down! *sees Skrill coming* Ohh, wait, no, no no no I take it back, I take it _baaaaack_ …!

SPOILERS: This fic is considerably AU, so none except a few already widely-known aspects of plot and characters are involved.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **Boundless**

PREVIOUSLY: _Viggo's sharp brown eyes glinted at the endorsement. "Of course," he concurred proudly. "Now, Scythe, my fine fellow…go on and retrieve a slave like I asked of you, and bring them to me immediately."_

" _To the dining quarters?"_

" _Yes…I'm in the mood for an early supper."_

 **Chapter 12**

For Astrid, waiting for the other shoe to drop was nearly as torturous as actually conversing with her fiancé.

She had been sure it was over for her – and most especially for Hiccup – the minute they had walked in to find the table already set with silverware and steaming plates of roasted lamb, Viggo occupying one of the chairs with a disturbingly pleasant expression on his face. Chills had run through her as he laughed at her shock, her insides bracing to hear herself condemned to dishonor and Hiccup condemned to much worse…somehow, despite all their efforts and her calculations, they had been late anyway.

She was, therefore, most certainly surprised when Viggo spoke words of reassurance rather than reprimand in greeting.

" _No need to look so apprehensive, dearest. You arrived here with the boy on time. I simply decided to bump up our meal a bit on the evening's schedule…there is no fault on your part."_

Understandably, Astrid had been speechless for a few seconds, but there was also no way she was about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Quietly, she'd taken her seat as Hiccup stood off in the background, once again arranging the filled water pots on shelves. And she had thanked the gods when, this time, he'd managed to complete the task without spilling or purposely dropping one, safely dismissed by his master from the room soon after serving a portion of their haul.

"Most refreshing," Viggo sighed contentedly as he placed his mug of the cold, fresh water back on the table. "I shall have to bring some with me on my journey, don't you think?"

"Journey…?" Astrid echoed, furrowing her brow in confusion. "What journey are you talking about?"

"Oh, yes, silly me," Viggo breezily scolded himself. "You aren't yet aware of the summons I received today." He reached into his belt, pulling out a scroll and then unrolling the parchment onto the table for Astrid to examine. "It's from Dagur the Deranged, High Chief of our allies the Berserker Tribe…he requests my presence to assist him in dealing with both a political and personal matter."

Astrid read over the contents of the message with her own eyes before scoffing mildly. "A marriage thing, huh?"

"Indeed," Viggo confirmed. "Seems that big brother doesn't approve of the man his sister has chosen for herself from a different island. But then, he and lovely little Heather have never really seen eye to eye, you understand."

"Why involve you, though?" Astrid questioned skeptically, and Viggo chuckled.

"Because, dearest…Dagur and his rather, shall we say _unstable_ mental state may be able to intimidate individuals…" He trailed off and shot her a wicked grin before finishing the statement. "But _I_ can intimidate entire _tribes_. And if need be… _incapacitate_ them as well."

Astrid inwardly winced. "Oh."

"I'm sure poor Heather will see reason in the end…that she'll ultimately choose the lives of her love and his people over gratifying her own sappy feelings. She _is_ of chieftain's blood, after all…" The comment was accompanied by a slow, conniving wink that turned Astrid's stomach. "And such figures of high importance often have to make sacrifices for the good of others…don't they."

"Of course," she ground out, finding herself having to swallow a rush of outrage along with her mouthful of meat. "So…when do you leave, then?"

"Late tomorrow morning," Viggo answered in between bites of his own food. "I'll be leaving Scythe in charge…he is both my captain of the guard and my second in command. But…" He pinned her with a stern stare. "You are still in charge of my personal slave, as we agreed upon…no slacking while I'm away."

"Why would I slack," Astrid huffed. "I'll have no qualms or difficulty keeping that boy on his toes, I can assure you."

"Good girl." Viggo rose from his chair with the condescending compliment. "Well then, dearest, as much as I hate to eat and run, I must be off to attend to business elsewhere…make sure everything is in ship-shape around the village before I depart." He looked back over his shoulder at Astrid. "I likely won't return for a few hours, so I hope you can find something with which to entertain yourself…you can at least start by getting that boy in here to clean up."

She nodded indifferently, though her heart was leaping for joy that Viggo was leaving the island come the next day…it would give her the perfect opportunity to take Hiccup to visit Toothless again. "Consider it done."

He nodded back to her, self-assured as always, unaware of the passion with which she mentally amended her words as he strode out the door.

 _But I'll be doing the clean-up_ myself _, thank you very much. Hiccup deserves a break…and I_ _am_ not _the helpless pampered princess you'd have me to be!_

Resolved and smiling in satisfaction at her silent declaration of independence, she then tucked into her meal, finishing it completely for the first time since coming to the island thanks to the blissful lack of Viggo's company. It felt good to finally have a full stomach…and even better to finally reclaim some of her dignity as she started to collect the dishes like a normal, nondescript human being.

 _And, this evening, I know one thing I can do to help Hiccup feel more human as well…_

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"A-Astrid, I-I don't know about this…"

"Relax, Hiccup," she lightly chastised the young man as she led him down the second floor hallway. "Viggo and his men are gone for the evening, no one around to see if you're up here."

"But… _your room_?! A-Astrid…" he stammered, "if I was ever caught somewhere like that, especially you bein' an engaged woman and all and engaged to the _chief_ of this tribe who happens to be _my master_ no less and therefore has the power and right to punish me in any way he sees—"

"Hiccup," she interrupted his babbling, smirking as his eyes crossed to look at the finger she'd placed on his lips. "Breathe."

Amusingly, he actually held his breath until she removed her finger and then finally blew out a huge, resigned sigh. "Fine…okay. But I still don't get why we can't do… _whatever_ it is we're gonna do up here in my room instead."

"Well," Astrid reasoned, pulling him to a stop as they reached their destination, "for one thing, your room is maybe one- _tenth_ the size of mine. And for the other, even more important thing…your room only has a bucket." She pushed the ornate wooden door open, smiling at the way his big green eyes widened even further when they landed on the object she'd left prominently viewable upon entrance. "Mine, though…has a whole tub."

"Oh, wow…" Hiccup breathed out softly. "Is that… _heat_ coming off the water? I don't think I've had an actually _hot_ bath since I was— _whoaaaaaaa_ , wait." No sooner had he entered the room and approached the tub than he was already backing away from it. " _Ohhh_ , no no, _waaaait_ just a minute, here…" He looked at her with an expression that practically screamed disbelief. "Y-you want me to…to…and in _your_ room?! And with you _still in it_?!"

"Yep," she grinned into his shocked emerald eyes before rolling her own as she shut the door behind her. "Oh, don't look so scandalized, mister modest…" she admonished, walking over to his side. "It comes with a privacy screen." Demonstrating, she pulled on the handle at the end of the folded barrier and extended the conjoined panels of wood and canvas, looping it around to where it completely concealed the tub on all sides save for a small access gap at the back. "See?" She then pointed to a plush settee in front of the room's hearth. "I'll be sitting over there by the fire…won't be able to glimpse a thing."

Hiccup – now completely red in the face – hemmed and hawed and hesitated for several moments, and Astrid started to wonder if she'd been too forward or flippant. Maybe she hadn't taken the shy, innocent nature of the boy she was dealing with into enough consideration…but she was determined to give him the safe and restful evening that he so richly deserved.

"Hiccup, you'll be fine," she told him softly, modifying her approach. "I knew you'd probably feel like getting all the dragon spit off you before bed tonight, and I didn't want you to have to use that ice cold water in the tower outside to do it…or to have to worry about someone _catching_ you out there alone and off-guard."

"Well, um…actually, I typically sneak to the village bathhouses in the middle of the night when I need to really scrub down instead of just freshen up—"

"Keyword – _sneak_ ," Astrid readily chided. "Which wouldn't leave much time to heat the water, I'd assume…"

"Better than nothin'."

"Very true…but, I want you to have an experience that's _better_ than 'better than nothing'." She placed a gentle hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "You deserve some real peace and comfort for a change, if you ask me."

The young man quirked a small, tremulous smile at her kind words and then finally gave in with a nod. "Okay…I suppose it would be awfully nice," he admitted reluctantly.

"It will be," she assured. "Nothing makes you feel new again like a warm bath…you'll love it." She patted his shoulder encouragingly before turning and walking over to the hearth, stoking the fire underneath a large, hanging cauldron full of more hot water. "Plus, I'll do your laundry free of charge…doesn't work to have clean skin only to put back on dirty clothes afterwards."

"Y-y-yeah…" came the unsteady, timid reply as the brunet stepped behind the screen and began loosening the ties on garments now stiff from dried saliva. "Um, thanks, that's c-c-cool."

"Hiccup," Astrid intoned with fond exasperation, "I can practically hear your knees knocking together back there." She shook her head as she approached the divide. "Don't stress, just strip."

"O-o-okay…" He gulped at the sound of her footsteps nearing him. "Wait, w-what're…a-are you _c-coming over here_ —"

"To get your clothes, yes," Astrid filled in for him calmly. "And the longer you take to get them off," she began with an impish lilt to her tone, "the longer I stand here…"

"Okay, I'm goin'!" Frantic rustling heralded the sudden appearance of material over the side of the screen. "Take 'em!"

"Taking them now," Astrid warned him, suppressing a blush _and_ her imagination concerning Hiccup in his current state…though it certainly didn't help how – when standing at full height – he was still visible from the top of his auburn head to about midway down his freckled upper back. Shaking herself, she decided to turn the tables of embarrassment back on him. "So don't be so startled when they disappear that you trip and hit your head and drown on me," she ribbed with a smile. "Can't leave you alone for a second, you accident-prone, danger-magnet of a boy…"

"Heh…" came the muffled reply through the thick canvas separating them as Hiccup knelt to move his boots out of the way. "I, um, actually can't exactly deny that I'm either of those things…but…" He laughed nervously. "I would _reaaaally_ appreciate if you could at least leave me alone long enough to get in the tub."

"Okay, I'm going!" she repeated his earlier words, turning away from him with an amused huff. "Back over here by the fire to wash your clothes…and before you start in on _that_ , I did the laundry for my brother and dad back home constantly…so it's not the first time I've handled a guy's underwear." She barely held back a burst of giggles as she heard a loud splash upon the last word, figuring that her boldness had probably caused the awkward dork to _slip_ into the tub rather than step into it.

"But-but…at least they're your _family_!"

"Yep," she shrugged, even though Hiccup couldn't see it. "And you're my friend." The frenzied splashing suddenly stopped.

"Thanks," was the muted, moved response from the boy after some seconds of thoughtful silence. "You…you're mine, too. I'll chill out, now."

"Nah," Astrid grinned as she dunked his clothes into the now unhooked cauldron of heated water and – objectively and professionally – began to lather them with soap. "Now you'll _warm up_ , instead."

They talked pleasantly for another half hour as Astrid washed his threadbare garments and Hiccup washed his hair and body, the subjects ranging from everything lighthearted such as Toothless and fond memories Astrid had of Berk, to more serious matters such as Viggo and how they would go about sneaking from the village tomorrow after his departure. As they had no excuse to go to the cove again, they had to come up with a sensible reason to at least go into the forest should Scythe or any others happen to see them stealing away.

"S'convenient…" Hiccup remarked softly with a slur to his voice; she had never heard the young man sound so relaxed before…it did her heart good.

"What? Me running out of firewood?" She smirked as she stoked the next-to-last few of the logs she had, the fire's heat now being used to dry Hiccup's clean clothes. "That may be…but it's also totally legit." Putting the poker back in its place, she then determined it was time to relax herself and stretched out on top of the settee. "You'll be going into the woods to chop some more for me."

"Mmm-hmm," the boy mumbled, sinking further into the still-warm water with a contented sigh. "Pro'lly get laughed at, though…" he mused. "Someone'll jus' say you'd do better choppin' the trees yourself than that noodle-armed kid'll do…"

"Noodle-armed?" Astrid snickered. "I've gotta write that one down."

"Figures…always with the weight again."

"Hey," she playfully scolded. "This time you said it, not me."

"Mmm-hmm…wha'ever."

"Well, don't worry, noodle-arms," she grinned. "I really _will_ chop the wood for you. I'm a crack-shot with an axe; it's my weapon of choice."

"Oh, huh…" he said with a yawn. "S'cool."

"What about school?" Astrid asked jokingly, wide smile slowly slipping from her face as no reply followed. "Hiccup…?" She listened closely for splashes or movement of any sort but heard nothing for several seconds. "Did you fall asleep…?" More minutes passed and still no noises; the quiet was probably a confirmation of her suspicion that he'd conked out, but worry still niggled at the back of her mind that he'd possibly _passed_ out instead and went under…unlikely, yes, but at the same time, if anyone could find peril to get themselves into from something as mundane as even a _bathtub_ , it'd no doubt be her Hiccup.

 _Whoa, wait…_ my _Hiccup? Oh sweet Freya where did_ that _come from…_

Astrid stood up and started heading in the direction of the screen, almost as much to walk off that inappropriate thought as to check on the young man it concerned. "Hiccup? Fair warning, if you don't answer me right now, I'm coming back there to make sure you haven't drowned." She took a few more steps. "Getting closer…" she sang, hoping he would speak up in protest. "Almost there…" Another few steps and she had reached the screen, still hearing no activity from behind it.

 _Okay…just have to see that he's all right, is all…_

Taking a deep breath, she took what she intended to be a quick peek around the edge of the divide, finding Hiccup to indeed be sound asleep in the bath, head resting atop the tub's rim with his arms draped languidly along its sides…completely safe and fine. Her brain then sent the signal for her body to turn away…

But the traitorous thing didn't listen.

Instead, she drank in the sight of _her Hiccup_ in peaceful repose…the total tranquility something that she had never before seen in the often twitchy and typically vivacious boy. Even the other times she'd seen him sleeping, there had always been a slight tension to be detected, tiny lines of stress or pain or nervous energy tightening his features and his limbs. But any trace of trouble was gone now, with all the bare skin she could see above the sudsy water – it immersed him almost up to his collarbones, thankfully for her propriety – perfectly smooth and barely flushed from the heat, highlighting the freckles that stippled it lightly all over and more generously along his arms and shoulders…she could even make out a few dotting his un-submerged kneecaps.

" _Tell me, have you counted all his freckles yet…"_

The sudden echo of Viggo's words from days prior would've normally fazed her, but here in her own room, with her… _friend_ serenely soaking in her tub, a sense of calm radiated outward to find her as well as she mentally answered them.

 _Hmm...pretty sure it'd take all night and well into tomorrow if I tried…_

But remembering Hiccup's innate shyness, a sense of guilt began to creep alongside it and she then conducted the rest of her examination in a more clinical manner, noting the way his hair clung in damp tendrils to his neck and face and smelling the clean scent of soap. It was enough to tell her that he'd finished washing and, with that in mind, she decided there'd be no harm in letting him sleep for a bit longer…gods knew he needed it.

Breaking her stare from the boy and shaking off the forbidden feelings seeing him like that were stirring within her, she started to make her way back over to the hearth…

"Astrid! Dearest?"

Only to freeze painfully in her tracks at the unexpected and entirely un _welcome_ sound of Viggo's voice filtering through her closed door. _He's back so early, oh gods…_ Tamping down her panic, she thought quickly as he knocked. "Can't come to the door right now, I'm in the tub!"

"That's no matter," came a slightly muffled reply that sent her stomach dropping down to her toes. "I'll simply grant myself entry…"

"NO YOU WON'T!" she snapped as the knob began to turn, the motion stopping at her words. "I told you I'm in the bath and husband-to-be or not, you will not see me this way until we're married and the time is proper!"

Viggo went silent for a few beats before giving a terrifyingly calculated answer to her reproof. "You have a privacy screen in there, do you not, dearest?"

 _Oh no…_ Alarm bells sounded a cacophony in Astrid's head as she rushed to gather Hiccup's clothing from where it dried near the fire. Hastily balling the garments up and hugging them to her chest, she scrambled as fast she could over to the screen and flung herself behind it, dropping the clothes to the ground. With aching regret for what she was about to do, but knowing it was for his own safety, she then placed one hand firmly on Hiccup's naked shoulder and used the other one to cover his mouth.

She was prepared for the terror-stricken jolt that coursed through his frame upon the rude awakening and leaned down to urgently whisper reassurances straight into his ear, wet strands of hair brushing her lips as she soothed him back into stillness.

"I'm so sorry, babe, Viggo's outside and I can't stop him from coming in, I told him I was in the tub, just stay quiet so he can't find out you're in here and you'll be okay, I promise…"

Only when she felt Hiccup nod in uneasy understanding against her did she release her hand from his mouth, heart breaking at his wide, fearful eyes and the way his shoulder had started to tremble in her hold as she called back to Viggo. "Fine, get in here but DO NOT DARE look behind this screen…and make whatever the Hel it is quick!"

The tension that had been so blissfully absent just moments before now shot through Hiccup's body like a poison-loaded arrow. Astrid couldn't even deny the way her own body stiffened in anxiety as the door opened and Viggo's footsteps sounded in her once personal sanctuary. "What is it?" she growled at him as she began to rub her thumb in slow, rhythmic circles across the soft skin of Hiccup's shoulder in hopes to help quell the young slave's nerves.

"Oh, nothing much, dearest." His master's reply, as usual, was infuriatingly calm and vague. "I only wanted to bid you a proper goodbye…tomorrow will be a busy morning and I highly doubt I'll be afforded time to speak with you one-on-one." The man sighed deeply. "It's unfortunate that I caught you in a bad mood…shall I leave?"

"I'm not in a bad mood," Astrid retorted with irritation that countered her words. "You just took me by surprise, is all…I was half undressed and since you wouldn't take no for an answer, I had to hurry behind this thing instead of settling in for the relaxing soak I was hoping for." Her harsh words were directed to Viggo, but in between sentences her eyes continually returned to lock with Hiccup's, filled to the brim with the gentleness and placation that her voice lacked. "So yes, I would appreciate it if you'd leave."

"Ah…understandable," Viggo admitted. "I do apologize for disturbing your leisure time, dearest…perhaps I'll be able to carve out a moment in the morning for just the two of us. For now, though, I must be getting back to my other duties…I was just taking a little break to come and see you."

Astrid swallowed. "Well…I am grateful for your consideration in that regard," she stated, hoping to satisfy him by letting the anger fade from her tone. "But, like I said…just bad timing."

"Of course," Viggo nodded as he turned to leave. "Have an enjoyable bath, get some rest, and I hope to see you for breakfast, at least, if my schedule permits. If not, I'll certainly see you before I leave for Berserk."

"Yes, see you then," Astrid mollified, breathing out a long and measured sigh of relief once she heard the door shut and his footsteps recede well out of range, feeling Hiccup do the same beneath her hand. "Are you okay?" she asked the boy quietly as she moved her hand to the hollow of his throat just inches above the water line. "Your pulse is racing…oh, Hiccup, I'm so sorry about that, here I just wanted you to relax and it almost—"

"But it didn't," he whispered back, placing his hand over hers. "And I _did_ get to relax, it was really nice…and I'm clean again, too. No more dragon spit."

"That's good," she smiled, allowing the tender moment to last a bit longer before reluctantly detaching from him and then reaching down to pick up his clothes. "Same can be said for your laundry…even got it nice and fire-warmed for you if not completely dry." She canted her head towards his feet. "And there's a towel ready for you at the end of the tub…if you're done, I can step back out and let you get dressed."

His lashes shyly lowered at this, an adorably profuse blush spreading from his cheeks and down his neck all the way to his upper chest…as though he'd just realized that she'd almost seen _way_ more of him than he was currently comfortable revealing. "Y-yeah, I guess so."

Her own heart now pounding in a swell of emotions she couldn't name, Astrid left the garments with him and retreated to wait patiently and politely on the edge of her settee, re-tightening the leash on her imagination as she heard the splashes of cascading water that signified Hiccup standing from the tub, followed by the rustling of fabric against skin as he dried himself off and put his leggings, tunic, and boots back on. He was toweling his hair vigorously as he emerged from behind the screen, and the young woman grinned to see how refreshed he seemed both physically _and_ mentally…despite the brief, awful scare they'd gotten. "Lookin' good," she commented as she rose to meet him – a definite _understatement_ on her part as she tried to ignore the way the damp clothing clung to his trim, finely-toned body – and he breathed an unpretentious laugh.

"Flatterer." Towel now discarded, he casually finger-combed his longish auburn locks as he spoke, and she tried to ignore how the action set her stomach to fluttering in tandem with her heart. "But I definitely feel better, too…and I wish I could stay longer, but…"

"I know," Astrid nodded, running a hand through her blonde bangs in turn and tucking some strands of them behind her ear. "After what happened with Viggo, it's probably best you don't." She looked deeply into his grass green eyes with her ocean blues. "But, for what it's worth…I wish you could stay longer, too. You're the best kind of company."

Her words came with a lighthearted smirk, but she stiffened in surprise as she suddenly felt long, lean arms wrap her into the sweet, gentle, and oh-so _warm_ hug that came with his. "And you're the best kind of _friend_ …thank you so much."

She practically melted into his embrace at the heartfelt compliment, her arms sliding around him in turn and giving him an affectionate squeeze. It didn't escape her as they stood together that they'd once again become way too close to being torn apart…had Viggo found Hiccup in the room with her – and _especially_ in his state of undress, even though nothing indecent had happened between them – she had no doubt that the man would've killed the boy on the spot, with gods only knew what happening to her soon after…as if the loss of Hiccup wouldn't have broken her enough.

"Glad to do it," she sincerely replied, giving him one more squeeze at just the mere thought of what could've been. "Go get some real sleep instead of a nap, and I'll see you tomorrow…be careful going downstairs."

"Yes, ma'am," Hiccup smiled with a wink as they parted. She stood watching at her door until he disappeared down the hallway, then she closed it softly and sank down with her back against the hardwood, arms wrapped around her knees and head resting upon them. She thought back to how she'd referred to him in her head as _her_ Hiccup…and if _that_ hadn't been bad enough…

…out loud, she had actually called him 'babe'.

 _I'm absolutely, undeniably soft on a slave boy…and possibly sweet on him, too._

Gods, was she in seriously deep trouble.

TBC…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: Oh, she's got it bad…*snickers proudly* What? No, no, 'she' being _Astrid_ , not me! I'm PsychicWonderKitty not PsychicWonder _Cougar_! Ahem…*shifts eyes*

…Aaaaand a hopeless (perpetually single) romantic as confessed, remember? Leave me alone! ;-)

Soooo, with _that_ long and very loaded installment all done, well…I'm just gonna – yep, uh, ahh…s-see ya (the day after) tomorrow! *scampers away*

-PWK


	14. Chapter 14

DISCLAIMER: *sings* 'Oh I've got the films, and I've got some shirts, and I love the whole _Dragons_ universe – I'm a fangirl through and throoough!' But I don't own HTTYD…boo-hoo.

SPOILERS: This fic is considerably AU, so none except a few already widely-known aspects of plot and characters are involved.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **Boundless**

PREVIOUSLY: _"Yes, ma'am," Hiccup smiled with a wink as they parted. She stood watching at her door until he disappeared down the hallway, then she closed it softly and sank down with her back against the hardwood, arms wrapped around her knees and head resting upon them. She thought back to how she'd referred to him in her head as_ her _Hiccup…and if_ that _hadn't been bad enough…_

… _out loud, she had actually called him 'babe'._

I'm absolutely, undeniably soft on a slave boy…and possibly sweet on him, too.

 _Gods, was she in seriously deep trouble._

 **Chapter 13**

"Get those weapons in there!"

"Hoist that sail!"

"Load those provisions!"

Astrid nearly lost her footing stepping out of the way as yet another slave rushed by her, the fear of punishment if he dared dawdle spurring him on. Viggo had put the entire barracks to work on preparing his ship for the journey to Berserk and now stood coolly at her side, nodding in approval as his soldiers barked order after order and the slaves hastened to obey. It was nearly time for him to pull out from port…her insides practically thrummed with the anticipation for it to happen.

"You understand how you are to handle things while I'm away, I presume."

"Yes," Astrid replied, meeting his dark gaze with confidence. "I won't disappoint you."

"Good, very good," Viggo hummed. "Because I do look forward to our wedding upon my return…I've decided the sooner we do it the better."

"Oh," was all the young blonde could muster…it felt as though a pit had just opened up beneath her feet.

"Contain your enthusiasm, dearest," Viggo remarked with a raised eyebrow as Scythe signaled him that his ship was in order. "You wouldn't want to hurt yourself."

"No…it's not that," Astrid forced out, realizing she'd almost let her mask slip. "It's just…nerves, is all. Marriage is a pretty intimidating prospect."

"Agreed…but we'll make it work." He patted her shoulder and then took her hand into his, pressing a genteel kiss to the top of it. "Until we meet again, dearest…do behave yourself while I'm gone."

"Of course," Astrid smiled at him, even while resisting the urge to wipe her hand on her leggings and rid herself of the feel of his abrasive lips. "Good luck on your mission."

Viggo smirked arrogantly at her as he tightened the clasps of his chieftain's cloak, the heavy black bear fur beneath his standard spiked shoulder armor not seeming to weigh him down in the slightest. "I make my own luck."

She watched as he then turned his back and boarded the ship, the soldiers that were already on deck saluting him and making way. The rest of his men, including Scythe and his two lackeys, began to herd the slaves back to the barracks in commanding and merciless fashion. Hiccup, who had been standing demurely to the side after tending to all of Viggo's personal needs, shot the trio a wary look as they passed by that they thankfully remained oblivious to…much like her, he didn't trust those three brutes any further than he could throw them.

The tense muscles in the young man's body visibly loosened as Astrid came to stand beside him, his green eyes cautiously sliding to meet her blue ones though his head was lowered in feigned submission. She gave him a small comforting smile unseen by any but Hiccup, which he returned, and together the two youths looked on as Viggo's ship pulled out of port and became smaller and smaller on the horizon, until it was finally too far away to be seen.

Finding themselves alone on the docks, Astrid grinned widely as Hiccup lifted his head to properly meet her gaze. "Well, now that _that's_ out of the way…how about we go chop that firewood, noodle-arms?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"So it wasn't just one tooth, but two?"

Astrid smirked proudly as Hiccup giggled at the completion of her latest story. "Yep…after that, Snotlout knew better than to ever flirt with me again and turned his attentions to Ruffnut instead. Much to the dismay of Fishlegs, I might add." She shook her head in amusement. "Never thought I'd see the day when a fight would break out over one of the Thorston twins…and the two opponents not be the Thorston twins themselves."

"Sibling rivalry, huh?" Hiccup guessed, and Astrid scoffed.

"Understatement!"

"And did they ever earn a punch from you like the Snot-guy did?"

"Multiple times," Astrid answered with an eye roll. "Only thing is, they actually seem to _enjoy_ getting physically harmed…good times, huh?"

Hiccup laughed. "Yeah, no kidding, right? Pain… _love it_ ," he sarcastically drawled.

"Only fun if you get a scar out of it," Astrid agreed with a teasing wink before quieting and stretching her legs out in front of her with a contented sigh, feeling a deep purr vibrate against her in response. Both youths now reclined casually against Toothless's side, having found the dragon still in the cove upon their arrival there and very happy to see his new friends again. His wound was healing nicely thanks to the saliva treatment they'd given it, and they had watched in awe as the Night Fury demonstrated how much better he felt by zipping, diving, and barrel-rolling through the afternoon clouds above their heads. After putting on a good show for them, the dragon had then landed once more and the trio had shared a small, quiet lunch of what else but fish, with a few slices of apples plus bread and honey as dessert.

Thankfully, unlike Hiccup at age fifteen, Astrid hadn't been required to try a second helping of their meal post-regurgitation by reptile.

Her eyes flicked to Hiccup as he exhaled deeply next to her, speaking wistfully. "I like your stories of Berk…makes me wish I had my own to tell like that. But the life and death of Saber Grimborn, late-n-great fake heir to the Reaper Tribe, isn't exactly full of knee-slapping hilarity or rollicking misadventures."

"It's okay," she reassured with a sympathetic pat to his arm. "You'll have lots of fun stories soon to tell as Hiccup, I'm sure. Like all about Toothless…or Sharpshot…or that time when you slipped and fell into the bathtub just because I talked about men's underwear." Laughter spluttered out of her at the way his head whipped around, an indignant expression and blush blazing across his freckled face.

"Wha—I didn't do that!" the young man shouted, climbing to his feet and folding his arms over his chest as he glared down at the chortling blonde. "Well…I mean…" One arm broke free from its position, and he waved it in an aimless circle a couple of times before flopping it back down to his side. "I _did_ slip and fall, but it wasn't 'cause of—"

"Oh, Astrid!" She now also rose to a stand, her voice transforming into an exaggeratedly pitchy and nasally one. "How could you say somethin' so scandalous?! I'm already embarrassed enough!"

"What, whoa…okay, first of all I don't sound like _that_ , what is this character?" Hiccup confronted her, a smile threatening to crack despite himself. "And second…what is that thing you're doin' with my shoulders?" he questioned as Astrid bounced her own up and down in imitation. "Okay, okay…" Carefully, he grasped the highly amused girl by her upper arms to subdue the movement. "Just…hold still."

"Like you ever do," she retorted with a snort, and behind her Toothless seemed to chuff in laughter of his own.

"Thanks for the support, bud," Hiccup sardonically commented.

Her snickers finally dying down, Astrid reached up and gave his auburn hair a fond tease. "Hey, it's okay…" She hesitated, then came right out and said the words she'd been so aghast to think just the day before. "Awkward is adorable on you."

"Well gee, thanks," Hiccup muttered, fighting another blush. "That's a _reeeally_ good thing, since 'awkward' probably comprises about ninety percent of my body weight." His jade eyes rolled in mock-frustration, then widened. "No, wait, _rephrase_ —"

"You don't say!" Too late. "Bet it replaced all your fat cells."

Hiccup flopped down against Toothless once more, releasing a pouty sigh. "I really left myself wide open for that one, didn't I."

"Always with the weight," she smirked as she joined him in sitting back down. "Nice evening, huh?" she said after a few minutes of silence.

"Random subject change," Hiccup remarked with a raised eyebrow. "But yeah…real nice. Bet it's awesome to be a dragon, huh…Toothless could go see that sunset from the clouds when it happens if he wants." His gaze fixated itself longingly upon the sky, the fading light catching in his bright emerald orbs and making them sparkle like green sea glass. "Wouldn't that be somethin'…"

The tranquil moment of contemplation was interrupted by the sudden removal of their backrest, causing both youths to jarringly hit the grassy carpet beneath them. "Ow!" Astrid exclaimed. "Toothless, what was that all about?!" she demanded as she sat up and rubbed the back of her head, Hiccup summarily doing the same next to her.

The dragon's only response was to repeatedly point back and forth between Hiccup and erratically into the air, using his snout. The boy's brow furrowed at the confusing behavior from his scaly friend, and he pushed himself to a stand with intentions to carefully approach the Night Fury in hopes that he could figure out what the problem was.

Little did he know, this was the cue for which Toothless had been waiting.

Astrid watched in bewilderment, powerless to do anything as the dragon sprang behind Hiccup and plowed into him headfirst, hard enough to uproot him from the ground. The young man yelped as he tipped backwards, long legs flying out from under him and feet kicking helplessly as he tried to right himself back into a sitting posture. With a grunt and a forward heave of his upper body, he finally did…only to overbalance and find himself straddling the strong back of his reptilian friend, thin arms wrapped around the dragon's thick neck and thigh muscles clinging and quivering. If Astrid hadn't known any better, it almost looked like Hiccup was in position to take a ride on Toothless or—oh.

 _Oh, no…_

"Oh no…" Hiccup echoed her realization from the Night Fury's back and dug in his fingers and feet, certain he knew what was coming next. "Toothless! Toothless, don't you _AAAAAAAAAAAAUGHHH_!"

"HICCUP!" Astrid shrieked in tandem with the boy's horrified scream as the black dragon launched into the air with him latched on for dear life.

"Oh no! NO NO NO _AAAAAAAAUGHHH_!"

"TOOTHLESS! You bring him back right now!" Astrid commanded as she ran around like a fool, mentally facepalming at the uselessness of her words and actions but able to do nothing else. "TOOTHLESS!" The Night Fury was now nothing but a dark dot in the sky above…one that, if she looked hard enough, seemed to be slowly getting bigger…or maybe make that _quickly_.

" _Oh great Odin's ghost_ , this is—" She didn't even have time to finish her curse before her arms were swiftly snatched up in the dragon's claws, her own shrill screams easily drowning out Hiccup's as Toothless flipped her into a midair somersault that had her landing on his back right behind the young man. Terrified, she locked her arms – and legs – so tightly around Hiccup's slim torso that in any other circumstance besides the death-defying one they were in now, she would've feared she was cutting off the poor boy's air.

"Toothless, what is wrong with you?!" That didn't appear to be the case, however, as Hiccup continued to shout. " _Bad dragon_!"

"Is he usually like this?!"

"I have no idea _aaaaaaaaa_!"

The Night Fury smirked, unbeknownst to his two passengers, as he streaked through the sky and gave them the ride of their lives. He didn't understand what all the fuss was about – it wasn't like he would let either of them fall! They had just seemed so enthralled at the earlier air show he gave them that he'd figured they'd be even _more_ thrilled to experience it for themselves! Twists and turns, ocean dive, rapid ascent, and… _of course_!

"And now he's spinning," Hiccup impassively noted, the shock having worn off for him. "Thank you for nothing, you useless reptile," he announced in a deadpan monotone.

"Okay, Toothless!" a still-frantic Astrid yelled over the rush of wind. "We're good now, we've had enough, just put us back down!"

Toothless shook his head as he rose higher into the air. _Silly humans…_ Their ride wasn't over yet.

Hiccup and Astrid felt their bodies jolt as the Night Fury suddenly re-extended his folded wings, catching them on an updraft and abruptly transitioning his crazy stunts into an even glide. The youths slumped in sheer relief, having to catch their breath from all the screaming they'd been doing, Astrid especially. She lifted her head from where it had been buried between Hiccup's shoulder blades and opened her tightly-scrunched eyes…

And then she found herself _losing_ her breath again…for an entirely different reason.

Beauty the likes of which she'd never seen literally surrounded her. The clouds they flew in were gilded by the evening sun, hues of gold and pink and orange dancing across their surfaces as it continued its descent behind them. Awestruck, she reached up to run her fingers through one of them, gasping when her skin encountered cold, yielding droplets of moisture rather than the puffy, spongy softness she had expected. Exhilarated by the discovery, she loosened her grip on Hiccup and threw both hands above her head to feel it again, beaming brightly…and not even having to look to know that the free-spirited young man in front of her was doing the same.

The world then slowly, smoothly began to tilt as Toothless propelled them higher, breaking through another cloud bank with ease to treat his two passengers to an even more spectacular sight. Astrid felt her mouth fall open as the Northern Lights flared to brilliant life around them, ribbons of blue and violet and the same beautiful green of Hiccup's eyes shimmering across her vision, filling her with euphoria and wonder. Aurvandil's Fire – the glow of which used to be so dreaded when she was a small child, all thanks to her Uncle Finn's incident with the Flightmare – was unfathomably gorgeous as it blazed alongside them in the night sky.

It was amazing. Toothless was amazing. And Hiccup…gods, the word didn't even begin to _touch_ how she felt about _him_.

Overwhelmed by sensation and emotion so alien to her she couldn't even put a name to it, Astrid Hofferson finally, _finally_ felt the last of the walls around her heart crumble into dust. Her mind and body now completely in sync, she slipped her arms around the boy who – she was absolutely _convinced_ – was sent from the very heavens through which they now soared, feeling his soul-deep warmth melt into her even as an undeniable realization threatened to send chills down her spine.

 _I can't do it…_

She knew now…knew without a doubt that it would be impossible to ever be happy with Viggo for a multitude of reasons. His condescension and conceit, his cruelty towards others, his domineering attitude towards her, his bloodlust and equal lust for power no matter who it hurt…all were certainly major contributing factors.

But the biggest reason, she determined as she felt Hiccup's heart beating strong and steady underneath her hand, was that she could and _would_ never love the man to whom she was promised.

Because on this extraordinary night, at that very moment…she knew that her own heart had secretly and irrevocably promised her to another.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Oh wow…just _wow_ ," Hiccup breathed as he and Astrid dismounted from Toothless, the trio now safely back on the ground in the cove. "I…I don't have the words."

Astrid remained silent as she stared absently at the moonlight reflecting off the lake. _Neither do I…_

"Just…" The young man turned to their dragon companion. "Thank you so much, bud," he whispered with a loving embrace to the Night Fury's neck. "That was the experience of a _lifetime_ …" Toothless purred as the boy stroked a gentle hand across his scales. "But…I guess Astrid and I should be getting back to—"

"No."

Hiccup startled at the interruption, looking to where Astrid stood only to see her back was still facing him. Perplexed, he tried again. "Astrid, as much as I'd love to stay it's really late and—"

"You're not going back."

A tremble was detectable within the firmness of her tone, instantly concerning the boy as he approached her. "What…?" He heard Toothless trill in similar unease behind him. "Astrid…what are you sayin', we've gotta—"

" _I_ do," she cut off, finally turning to gaze into his eyes with a sheen of tears stinging her own. "But you _don't_ …and I won't let you." She began to elaborate upon seeing nothing but confusion in his expression, rock solid in her conviction. "Hiccup, you have Toothless now…and you can _ride_ him. He can fly you away from this life once and for all!"

"Astrid…wha—"

"You can go to Berk!" she impassionedly continued. "They'll accept you there, I'll make some excuse to be gone so I can come with you for a couple of days to make sure they do…and when Viggo gets back I'll just tell him you died in some accident – that way he won't kill any other slaves to punish your being gone, and he'll never be any the wiser to where you went! Hiccup…" Shimmering ocean blue eyes locked with wide emerald greens, and at that moment the young man couldn't have glanced away if he'd tried. "You can finally be free."

"And what about you?" was Hiccup's reply after a long moment of silence. "Astrid…what did you mean by a couple of days, I mean…Berk is _your_ home, not mine." He shook his head sadly. "Besides, even if your tribe doesn't practice slavery…it doesn't mean they won't still recognize a slave for what they are." Hiccup's long, lightly quivering fingers worked at the lacings of his tunic at the words, loosening its neckline enough for him to push it down off his left shoulder a few inches…resolutely exposing the slave brand he'd so strived to keep hidden from her in previous days.

Astrid drew in a surprised breath at the action, her eyes widening as they took in the small, skull-shaped burn – about twice the size of her thumbnail – that stood out like an eyesore amidst the lovely, light freckles that dusted his smooth skin. She hadn't even been aware that he had a brand…

"You see?" Hiccup spoke up again, a forlorn inflection of resignation in his voice. "I may not look like it as I've heard so many times, but a slave _is_ what I am, Astrid…I can never be anything else." He sighed and began to re-lace his tunic, his point proven. "No one, not even Berk, will ever accept me as a free man…"

"Hiccup—"

"You know something?" The boy kept talking over her. "All the other slaves get marked on the sides of their heads after all their hair gets chopped off…part of the reason Viggo didn't do that to me was the whole Saber charade, but the other part…" He paused with a thick swallow. "The other part was that he wanted it over my _heart_ …so that my identity as his slave essentially pumped through my blood."

Astrid felt her own heart break at the quiet, bitter admission…and then it hardened back into steel at the thought of Viggo's cruelty to a boy who deserved absolutely none. She would not allow the madman's words to be the ones that stuck in Hiccup's head in regards to his slave brand…it was high time she _permanently_ erased them, even if she couldn't erase the brand itself.

"Well, first off," she opened with the safe option of humor, "I personally kind of like skulls." She gestured to the ornamentation on her skirt, pleased when he cracked a tiny smile at her joke. "But more seriously and _much_ more importantly…" she continued, now straight-faced and steady as she looked into his vibrant jade orbs. "Hiccup, I don't care in the least about that brand…it couldn't matter any less to me, and you know why?"

Compassion flooded her gaze as she placed a gentle hand over the hated mark…but as soon as she felt the strong beats from underneath it, the words Hiccup needed to hear came to her like a ray of sun through the clouds. "Because it's not what's _out here_ that defines you…" She traced careful fingers along the brand's edges through his thin tunic, then emphatically splayed her entire palm over the area to encompass not the mark, but rather the heart that forever outshone its darkness. "It's what's _in here_."

Tears brimmed in his eyes as he looked up from her hand to her crystalline blues. "Astrid, I…I…" He glanced down briefly at his feet, then back up again, despondency still visible. "What if they don't wanna search that far…?"

"But what if they're willing?" Astrid countered desperately. "Hiccup, please…you have to trust me on this. At least just try if you can, because I _can't_ …I can't do it again, Hiccup." She reached out to grasp his upper arms, squeezing them as if attempting to instill some of what she felt into him. "I can't watch you be hurt anymore…" One of her hands went to the faded bruise on the right side of his throat and tenderly touched it. "Not even a little…" The hand then slid up his neck and across his jaw line, one finger coming to rest feather-light on the faint, nearly-healed split on his bottom lip.

His emerald eyes widened at the intimate contact, reflecting the moonlight and glittering like the stars themselves were caught in their depths…and Astrid found herself completely lost in their beauty as she spoke again.

"Not now that I…"

She couldn't hold back anymore. Her hand cupped his face, the other slipping around his narrow waist to draw him closer, and at long last she closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his. Warmth flooded her entire body at the tiny, surprised gasp that escaped him, the resultant burst of sweetness she tasted only growing all the sweeter as she felt his lashes brush her skin, his eyes fluttering shut in turn. Her heart sang as he began to reciprocate after relaxing further into the kiss, and she held on long enough to allow them both full immersion in the blissful moment before finally pulling back to finish her sentence in a passionate, breathy sigh.

"…love you."

TBC…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: Ding-ding-ding-ding, we have finally have a winner! Though I'm not on Tumblr, I've heard the fandom is celebrating a special occasion right now, hehe…so from me to all of you…HAPPY HICCSTRID WEEK! :-D :-D :-D Perfect timing with this chapter, if I do say so myself… ;-)

Guest: Thank you so much! On this aforementioned special week, that's a really awesome compliment to get…I appreciate it and I'm glad you've been enjoying! :-)

So, my dear readers…I hope their first kiss as well as the "Romantic Flight" reprise were both as satisfying for y'all to read as they were for me to write…I'd say the big confession has been a while coming, yes? It made you happy, yes?

Good. That in mind, proceed to the next chapter (as soon as I get it posted on Thursday), and _hold on to the happy_. Their feelings for each other may at long last be out there…but those aren't the only things that are. Hold on…hold on!

-PWK


	15. Chapter 15

DISCLAIMER: I was hoping to get the rights to HTTYD as a Christmas present last year, but these next few chapters probably banished me straight to the naughty list…maybe this year I can try with Snoggletog instead?

SPOILERS: This fic is considerably AU, so none except a few already widely-known aspects of plot and characters are involved.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **Boundless**

PREVIOUSLY: _"Not now that I…"_

 _She couldn't hold back anymore. Her hand cupped his face, the other slipping around his narrow waist to slowly draw him closer, and at long last she closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his. Warmth flooded her entire body at the tiny, surprised gasp that escaped him, the resultant burst of sweetness she tasted only growing all the sweeter as she felt his lashes brush her skin, his eyes fluttering shut in turn. Her heart sang as he began to reciprocate after relaxing further into the kiss, and she held on long enough to allow them both full immersion in the blissful moment before finally pulling back to finish her sentence in a passionate, breathy sigh._

"… _love you."_

 **Chapter 14**

When Astrid opened her eyes again, she found a stunned Hiccup staring at her, his eyes huge and his fingers hovering as if to touch his mouth in proof that it hadn't all been some wild, wonderful dream. "A-Astrid…?" he exhaled shakily, slowly lowering his hand back to his side, and just like that the moment was broken and harsh reality set in once more.

"Please, Hiccup," she resumed, taking the astonished boy by his wrists and putting every emotion she had into her intense gaze. "You don't understand…h-how much you've come to mean to me a-and I—I just…I _can't_ lose you."

"Um, actually…" It came out as the barest whisper before the brunet finally found his voice – along with his confidence. "Actually I _do_ understand, Astrid, because…'cause I feel _exactly_ the same." His words were suddenly infused with ardor and resolve. "If I go to Berk, you _have_ to come with me…and not just for a few days but to _stay_. It's your home."

"And that's exactly why I _can't_ stay," Astrid admitted with regret, rubbing a soothing hand up and down his arm. "I have to protect my home, babe…that's why I agreed to marry Viggo even if I know I won't find happiness with him. It's the sacrifice I have to make…"

 _Along with you…but I love you enough to let you go…_

"Astrid…" Hiccup caught the hand that wasn't already in motion. "I…I can't accept that. You may be able to but I _can't_ …you deserve to be happy just as much as I do." He squeezed her fingers. "To be _free_ …and you never will if you're bound to Viggo. But it doesn't have to be like that…" He looked over his shoulder at their dragon companion, finding him watching their interaction with rapt attention. "We have Toothless now!" He fixed his expressive emeralds back on her. "With a Night Fury on our side, what chance would Viggo stand? As long as Berk accepts him…"

Astrid glanced briefly to the ground in thought. "Well, I know a woman named Valka Haddock who would be a good place to start with that," she confessed, at least willing to hear what the young man had to say. "She never thought dragons were evil back when they still raided our island…drove her husband up the wall."

"And now we _know_ they're not, or at least Toothless isn't, and we can _show_ them that!" Hiccup encouraged. "And then Berk can _beat_ Viggo if he decides to retaliate for you leaving him, and we can free his other slaves so they won't suffer for _me_ leaving him…bottom line is _we'll_ have the edge 'cause he still thinks all the dragons have disappeared! He'll never be ready for something like Toothless!" His boyish face was lit with determination and excitement that Astrid couldn't deny, but his next words were soft and sweet. "Everything'll work out, okay…? And I'm not leavin' without you even if we can't be together on Berk 'cause of my status—"

"Your _status_?" the blonde interrupted. "Hiccup…I told you that doesn't matter to me. And it won't matter to my father, who just so happens to be _the chief_ of Berk, either." Her hand went from stroking his arm to gently cupping his cheek. "Not when he hears about what all you've been to me…" she assured, thumb tracing lovingly across his freckles, "…and what all you are to me now."

"And you're all those things to me, too," he murmured, tucking a long strand of flaxen hair behind her ear. "So…if I give this whole thing a shot, try to make Berk my home…" The tiny smile he sent her went straight to Astrid's heart. "…will you come home with me?"

"I will," she breathed, expecting her response to be far more hesitant than it was. "I am…we're going. We're getting out of here." She smiled back. "Both of us…whatever happens."

"Yes!" Hiccup exclaimed in glee, pumping a fist into the air before coming back down to earth and shyly bringing it behind his neck instead. "I mean, uh…yes." He cleared his throat. "We are."

"Dork," she said with a fond, light punch to his shoulder. "Come on…we'd better go let Toothless in on the plan."

"Excellent idea, milady," the young man concurred as he walked beside her, before abruptly coming to a halt. "Um…is it okay to call you that, now?"

Astrid paused as well, tapping her chin in mock-thought before rolling her eyes affectionately. "Yeah, yeah…I guess so." She winked at him. "Especially now that I can call you my babe."

"Fair trade," he laughed as they started moving again. "Better than noodle-arms or dragon boy."

"Oh I'll still call you those, too…" she playfully warned him. "After all, you are such good friends with the resident dragon, here," she gestured to the Night Fury, and Hiccup grinned.

"Hey, bud!" he greeted happily with a vigorous scratch to one of Toothless's ear plates. "Sorry if you were feelin' like a third wheel there a while back, but the time for romantic revelations is over." He caught Astrid's eye and then turned back to the dragon. "We need each other, we love each other, and we've both gotta have a way outta here, sooo…care to assist?" Hiccup got the affirmative answer he'd been hoping for in the form of a loud warble and croon. "Great! So the plan is…is to, ahhh…" He snapped his fingers. "The plan is to let Astrid come up with the plan!"

"Figures," Astrid huffed. "You men get the brawn and we women get the brains…except _you_ really didn't get any of the brawn."

" _Thank you_ for summing that up…and _again_ -again with the weight!"

"What weight? You have some?"

"Argh! Toothless!" He sank down petulantly onto a mossy boulder and cut irritated eyes to the chortling dragon. "She's _not_ funny…and she'd better not even start with the shoulder thing!"

"Wouldn't dream of it," Astrid smirked as she sat down to the right of him and cleared her throat, turning the mood more serious. "Okay, guys…" she began as the dragon came close as well. "Hiccup, you and I are going back to the village but only to get the essentials…we'll grab a few provisions like food and water, some weaponry and medicine just in case, maybe just pack a whole supply bag…and we'll leave _well_ before the sun comes up. Toothless, be waiting here for us."

"Sounds simple enough," Hiccup approved and then sighed. "So I really don't know why I still feel as tense as a bowstring."

"Well…it's a bold move, babe," Astrid comforted with gentle hands in his hair, suddenly getting an idea and wanting to try it out. "But we'll make it anyway…and then we'll make a new life with each other back on Berk," she bolstered as she took a trio of longish auburn strands between her fingers and began to weave them together. "I'll even introduce you to the Haddock couple I mentioned before, Stoick and Valka…they've got a spare room in their house. It's not exactly that much space, but they're good people and they could lend it to you for a while, I'm sure."

"And you're also sure that they wouldn't mind?"

"Positive. I mean, I've even heard them say that sometimes the house feels kind of lonely to them." She tied the tips into a finishing knot, liking the look of the small braid she'd put in near his neck so much that she decided to do another, pinching and twisting more soft russet wisps as she kept talking. "They couldn't ever have any kids even though they wanted one badly…had they had one it would probably be about our age by now." She smiled as she completed the second braid just behind his right ear on the same side as the first. "Honestly, I bet they would love having an adopted son of sorts – even a grown one! And no one would ever mess with you again if you were a Haddock."

"You think so…?" Hiccup wondered aloud, running a nervous hand through his hair. "I mean, you think that— _whoa_ , what are…?" He felt along one of the little plaits and suddenly realized that Astrid hadn't just been mindlessly playing with his hair. "Braids…really?"

"They look good on you, trust me," she asserted. _Reeeally good…_ "Besides…they're my promise to you. Kind of a new mark to void your old one, if you wanna see it that way."

"What promise…?"

She returned his loving gaze with one of her own. "That you're under new ownership."

"Yours?" he smiled, and she shook her head.

"No, babe…that's _companion_ ship. And you're most _certainly_ mine there," Astrid grinned with a kiss to his cheek. "But as to all other areas…you're all your own, now. No one owns you except for you…and I'll make sure it stays that way," she declared as she rose from her seat. "Starting tonight."

"Tonight," Hiccup agreed, also standing up and then wrapping Astrid into a brief but warm embrace. " _Together_ …"

She nodded firmly against his shoulder. "Together."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The moon was full and high in the night sky as the young couple cautiously crossed back over the village limits, headed hand-in-hand toward Viggo's fortress home. Fortunately for them, there were only a couple of guards to avoid with so little civilization between that end of the village and their destination…and even one sentry that they'd been able to stroll right by since he was fast asleep on the job. Hiccup and Astrid paused as soon as they reached the edge of the large structure, catching their breath for a couple of minutes, then quickly they moved along the back of it until they got to the barrel that hid Hiccup's secret entrance. Like last time, the boy sat the barrel aside and Astrid darted through the hole in the foundation – however with no hesitation or indecision in her frame _unlike_ last time. Hiccup followed behind her, sealing them in, and together they made the short journey into the ground floor hallway and to his room, relieved to find Sharpshot already there as Hiccup wasn't about to leave his feline friend behind.

"Good boy, Sharpshot…" he murmured as he held the little cat close. "We're gettin' outta here tonight and you're definitely comin' with us, okay? Viggo can deal with the rats himself."

"Personally, I hope he gets an infestation," Astrid commented scathingly as she looked around the room, finding nothing else of value. "No other things you wanted to take from here besides him, then?" she questioned Hiccup.

"Nope," the boy answered. "Nothin' to my name except my name…and that's only thanks to you givin' me one."

"Everybody's got 'em…" she winked. "Okay, then…so I just need to go up and pack my stuff, and then gather up supplies."

"Sure, but actually I can get all the supplies while you get your stuff…it'd be quicker that way."

Astrid cast Hiccup an uncertain, worried look. "I don't know if that's such a good idea, babe…" She sighed upon seeing the young man's confused expression. "Hiccup, it'd be safer for both of us if it was me," she explained. "I have the free reign of this island that you don't have, so if a guard sees me browsing through storage houses or the armory, they won't say or do anything."

"But I don't think there's much risk anyway," Hiccup countered. "Scythe and his gang have their own homes, so they rest when they're off-duty…and if not, they should be on their posts all night as long as Viggo hasn't directed them otherwise. So all I'd have to do is avoid those places."

"Well, Viggo gave no alternative orders, as far as I'm aware…" Astrid pondered. "You're _sure_ , though, that they won't show up elsewhere anyway…?"

"Positive," he nodded firmly, jostling Sharpshot in his arms. "I've lived here for sixteen years, Astrid…I know the routines of the guards."

"Okay…" she reluctantly acquiesced, putting a hand on his shoulder. "But you stick with food and water and first aid only, the supplies that are in this building…I'll get whatever we might need that's outside of it."

"But—"

"No buts, Dragon Boy. I don't want you setting one foot out in the open to risk getting things that I can get with no questions asked. And when you're done in here, I'd honestly feel the most comfortable if you'd go on back toward the forest and wait; it was so easy to sneak past those couple of guards that I doubt it would be any harder to sneak _back_ past them, even with our hands full." Caring blue eyes locked with his green ones. "You'll be safest _completely_ outside of the village limits…and I can just meet you there."

"Sounds fine…but what if you finish before I do?"

"Doubt I will, but just in case let's establish that I'll wait on you in the same spot," she replied. "Right there at the edge of the woods, where we just came from. We don't chance running around trying to find the other for who knows how long…not anywhere we could be caught. It would be better to both meet up at the safe point instead…just head there as soon as you finish and I'll do the same."

"Sounds like a plan," Hiccup quietly approved.

"So that's what we'll go with…" Astrid then turned her attention to the animal purring against Hiccup's chest. "One thing, though…maybe you should let me take care of Sharpshot instead of leaving him while you get the supplies…you don't want to come back and find him gone." She gingerly took the orange cat from Hiccup's arms with a reassuring smile. "He can stay locked in my room the whole time whether I'm in or out of it, and when I leave, I even have a basket I can carry him in that latches so he can't get out."

"You're gonna be able to carry all your stuff _and_ my cat?" Hiccup questioned skeptically, to which Astrid only laughed.

"Babe, I can handle it…believe it or not, I actually don't have much of my own stuff to carry." She smirked. "I'm a light packer…plus, I think I left most of my things at home in sheer denial that I was gonna _really_ be spending the rest of my life here."

"Well…" Hiccup responded with a sweet, sincere smile, "now you _won't_ be. You're goin' back home."

" _We're_ going home, my love," she amended with a kiss to his cheek. "I'll see you in the woods." She stepped through the door with Sharpshot securely in her grasp, turning to look meaningfully one more time at the boy she'd come to cherish so deeply. "Be careful, Hiccup."

"You too, milady," the young man replied as he watched her go, wishing he could follow. Despite what he'd said about the guards being at their posts, as well as what she'd said about having immunity to their suspicions should they see her, he couldn't help but be nervous. Gods, she had risked so much for him already – her reputation, her standing with Viggo, and now her very _life_ …chief's daughter and future Lady Grimborn or no, he was terrified she'd be executed if found out.

Hiccup realized how thankful he was, as he left his room behind and headed up the stairway to the first floor, that Astrid had finally given in to his insistence that he be allowed to gather some provisions as well. With the two of them working simultaneously, their tasks would be completed quicker and they could therefore _meet up_ quicker and then get off the whole gods-forsaken _island_ quicker…in fact, he could hardly wait for the very moment when Toothless would launch them off of Reaper soil for the last time, never to return.

And if Viggo wanted war for Astrid having left him, then _by Odin_ Hiccup's normally peace-advocating self and Toothless would give him exactly that…and he was certain Berk would fight for her right alongside them.

But first things first.

"Okay…" he mumbled to himself, grabbing a large leather satchel from where he found it hanging off a hook in a storage room. "This'll work for our supply bag…so now I just need to fill it with some non-perishable food and water skins and first aid." He made his way to the dining quarters first, the hallway eerily quiet other than the sound of his own footsteps and his oddly calming, running commentary of his own actions and thoughts. "Please nobody be here…"

Taking a cautious peek around the corner, he was relieved to find the large room empty and swiftly headed into the kitchen that was an offshoot of it, taking several strips of dried meat and fruits and a couple loaves of rye bread from the pantry. That done, he rummaged until he found a few portable skins suitable for keeping water in, smirking to himself as he then went back into the dining hall and took said water directly from Viggo's sacred stash. "Would love to see his face when he gets thirsty and finds it all gone," he laughed quietly as he rearranged the clay pots back on the shelves, just like he'd done the day prior. "Serves him right."

Water and food now procured, he left the bag sitting on the table to retrieve on the way back, moving on to nervously approach Viggo's nearby room. Though it was the last place he wanted to go, especially alone, he figured it was the most likely place in the building to find medical supplies…a necessity as Astrid could hardly steal them from the healer's hut with the man likely now asleep inside of it. Slowly he came to a stop at the door – his feet feeling as though they had just waded through molasses with all the tension in his body – and twisted the knob with a shaky hand…

Only to find the door locked.

"Oh, great." Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Should've seen that one comin'…he of the gigantic superiority complex sure can't have any inferiors gettin' in there while he's gone." He sighed and started walking again to the sitting room all the way at the end of the hall…he knew several keys were kept hanging near its door inside; it was a safe bet that one of them would be for Viggo's quarters.

The sitting room was pitch dark when he stepped into it…had he not been counting on his task there to be a quick in-and-out job, he would've snatched a torch from the wall and brought it with him. Luckily though, he knew right where the keys hung…or at least _approximately_ where. Either way, it wasn't very far to go.

"Okay," he whispered in self-encouragement as he felt his way along the wall. "Should be right…about…" Before he could finish, he heard a small shuffling sound from across the room that caused both his thoughts and his motions to freeze. He stood stock-still for several moments, barely even daring to breathe for fear that the noise of it would be too loud in the cavernous space. Only when he determined that there was no further activity, save for his own, did he start moving again…

And so did the other presence hidden in the blackness.

A noise akin to the grind of flint was the only warning Hiccup got before the fireplace across the room burst to sudden, blazing life. The young man's loud, stricken gasp echoed through the air as he jumped nearly a foot into it, his terror only skyrocketing when he recognized the silhouette that stood silently in front of the flames.

"Can I help you with something, my dear boy?"

Hiccup's heart leapt into his throat at the sound of that distinguished voice, the same one belonging to a man that should've been _days_ away from where he was, but somehow, was now instead only mere _steps_ away. Viggo smiled menacingly as he began to saunter forward, and a shudder coursed through Hiccup's lean frame as he realized he was alone with the man, his back quite literally against the wall.

"I do apologize for startling you…turns out my services weren't needed on Berserk, after all." He spread his arms showily out to his sides, his black chieftain's cloak billowing regally with the motion. "So, here I am…back early."

"O-o-oh," Hiccup fearfully replied, feeling cold sweat break out along his lower back. "W-w-welcome b-back then, Lord G-Grimborn. I-I'll j-just, um…I'll leave you be," he stammered as he prepared to launch into a speedy walk for the door. "S-s-sorry to disturb—"

"Oh nonsense, my boy…no need to beat such a hasty retreat," Viggo interrupted with a wave of his hand toward a table and chairs. "In fact, why don't you go on and have a seat…for all those years you spent as my faux-sibling, it's been too long since we've just chatted one-on-one, don't you think… _baby brother_?"

Hiccup stopped in his tracks and swallowed hard, throat bobbing furiously at the action. "O-o-of c-course, sir." The young man felt like lead had been poured into his body as he turned back, knowing that to deny Viggo would be far more dangerous than to obey him…he could hear the command behind the man's seemingly friendly request.

Even if, in this case, obedience felt much like he was marching to his own death.

"There we are, there's a good lad," Viggo simpered as Hiccup reluctantly sank into the proffered chair, expecting his master to take the seat across the table from him, but flinching when he instead felt the man's presence loitering closely behind him – _far_ too close for comfort. "I confess, dear boy, I'm very thankful that there was no serious damage done to you from the other night…my temper just got the better of me and I do genuinely regret that."

Hiccup gulped again…his master was in a _frighteningly_ good mood. Not turning to meet Viggo's eyes, the boy simply nodded in response, staring down at the table as he heard the man come around to its other side and then back again while speaking idly – a vocal vulture circling his scared speechless prey.

A _Hunter…_ ready to live up to the moniker.

"I am well-aware I may not always show it," Viggo began as he paced, "but I am truly appreciative of the years of servitude you've given me. Such a wee little tyke you were when Ryker first presented you…admittedly, I was quite skeptical you'd be of any use." The conniving chief grinned when the boy started violently at the sudden feel of hands on his shoulders. "Who could've foreseen what a valuable asset you'd ultimately prove to be to this tribe…and to _me_."

Viggo's hands slowly slid from the boy's shoulders to his neck, relishing how frantically his pulse pounded against the sensitive skin of it. "You've grown into quite a striking young man as well, I must say…if not exactly a _strapping_ one." He chuckled in amusement both at his joke and at the full-bodied shudder that shot through the slender frame at his words. "I especially like this new look of yours… _these_ are a very nice touch."

If Hiccup had thought Viggo's rough hands on his throat and creepy comments had put him at maximum unease, then that was absolutely _nothing_ compared to the unmitigated terror that paralyzed his body as the man's fingers trailed through his wavy auburn mop…and snagged on the braids Astrid had lovingly weaved into it.

"You know," Viggo resumed speaking, again causing him to jump. "Ever since I laid eyes on my lovely fiancée, I've been wanting to learn how to braid hair…it's not exactly a skill any of us Reaper men possess since we prefer our hair shaven or short…though we had to make a bit of an exception for _you_ regarding that fact, of course." Hiccup started to tremble minutely as Viggo continued to fondle his longish locks, unable to control the surge of fear welling up inside him. "But, I digress. Clearly my bride-to-be is fond of the style, and I think it would prove to be quite the intimate gesture were I to do the braiding _for_ her. So…"

Not an ounce of tension drained from Hiccup's muscles as the man removed his hands, smiling as he came around to take his seat across from the boy, dark brown stare boring into delectably wide green eyes. "Teach me how you do it."

TBC…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: Heh-heh, ummm, so ahhh…who should be more afraid at this point? Hiccup, over the horrific situation he's now found himself in…or me, as the one who wrote him into it? *grins nervously*

Ahahaha, just gimme a minute for some additional review replies before you bring out the weaponry, though…

Guest 1: Thank you, so glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Though I hope you were able to shore your melted heart back up before finishing _this_ chapter, as the coming ride might be pretty rough on it even in a solid state! LOL.

Guest 2: Wow, thank you, very happy those two scenes worked so well for you! I really like the word "adroit", by the way…not only is it awesome to have ascribed to something I've written, but it'd just honestly be a cool word to throw into an everyday conversation, if the time ever comes, haha. But seriously, I appreciate such a strong compliment!

Guest 3: I hope this update was soon enough for you! While I can't say much of what any future chapters hold – no spoilers, lol! – I can at least assure you that the updates will happen every other day…except for on weekends when I update two days in a row! In fact, because of the fast updating schedule, this story will actually be complete by next weekend (sniffle)…so no need to freak out too much, hehe…you won't have to wait to find out what happens very long!

Guest 4: Thank you, I'm glad you liked it and that it succeeded in bringing the feels for you! Always a great thing to hear.

Okay, readers, thank you for your patience, there. So, now then, _ummm_ …*takes off running*

BYE COME BACK FOR NEXT UPDATE ON SATURDAY MEANWHILE PLEASE DON'T CHOP ME AAAAAGGHH!

-PWK


	16. Chapter 16

DISCLAIMER: *peeks out from behind sturdy boulder and whispers* I don't own How to Train Your— _AAAGH_ , GIANT AXE! *ducks back* You get the idea, read on and put down the sharp objects!

SPOILERS: This fic is considerably AU, so none except a few already widely-known aspects of plot and characters are involved. Warning for some violence and intense scenes of confrontation ahead!

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **Boundless**

PREVIOUSLY: _"You know," Viggo resumed speaking, again causing him to jump. "Ever since I laid eyes on my lovely fiancée, I've been wanting to learn how to braid hair...it's not exactly a skill any of us Reaper men possess since we prefer our hair shaven or short…though we had to make a bit of an exception for_ you _regarding that fact, of course."_ _Hiccup started to tremble minutely as Viggo continued to fondle his longish locks, unable to control the surge of fear welling up inside him. "But, I digress. Clearly my bride-to-be is fond of the style, and I think it would prove to be quite the intimate gesture were I to do the braiding_ for _her. So…"_

 _Not an ounce of tension drained from Hiccup's muscles as the man removed his hands, smiling as he came around to take his seat across from the boy, dark brown stare boring into delectably wide green eyes. "Teach me how you do it."_

 **Chapter 15**

Hiccup's breath hitched painfully at the demand, the knowledge that he had no clue how to braid hair tearing a burning path through him, even as he selected a few russet wisps behind his left ear with which to make an attempt. He tried to recall Astrid's process, only to promptly remember that he hadn't even known what she was doing to his hair when she did it…he had all of _nothing_ to go on.

"What's the matter, boy?" Viggo questioned with cold eyes. "It's only but a simple demonstration that I ask of you."

"I-I-I'm s-sorry…" Hiccup finally broke his silence. "I-I-I'm not real g-good at it w-when, um…w-when there's an…an audience." The strands slipped uselessly again and again from his fingers.

"Oh come now, it can't be that difficult," Viggo criticized at which Hiccup flinched, his nerves unraveling just as surely and rapidly as his failed braids were.

"L-like I s-said, I just—"

"Do it." The man rose from his chair and glared down at the boy.

"I'm t-t-trying…" he stuttered, jumping yet again when Viggo's fists slammed down onto the table.

"Do it!"

"I-I said I'm _trying_!" His long, usually nimble fingers now shook too badly to even pinch any hair, the shivers only made worse as Viggo lunged his upper body across the space between them.

" _I said do it_!" the man bellowed…and Hiccup's already battered, fragile composure shattered like glass.

"I _CAN'T_!"

The boy's desperate cry echoed throughout the room, letting Viggo know the time had come to move in for the kill. "Oh, really…" he murmured, deadly calm as he stalked around the table to come to a stop at his slave's side. "Then _pray tell_ me, dear boy…exactly who braided your hair if you didn't?" Gripping the young man by his upper arms, he slowly pulled the ramrod stiff form to a standing position with no resistance whatsoever…the boy was quite literally _petrified_. He grinned predatorily before speaking again. "Perhaps, maybe…the only person on this entire island who _can_?"

The breath was viciously stolen from Hiccup as Viggo suddenly lifted him from the floor and, with a running start, slammed his back against the nearest wall with an iron hand around his slender throat.

"You stupid, _stupid_ boy!" Spittle flew from the enraged chieftain's mouth as the youth writhed helplessly in his grasp. "Did you think me blind?! Did you think me _of all people_ an _idiot_?!" He tightened his grip even as his slave struggled futilely to pry it loose, then abruptly released it the instant he saw the bright green eyes starting to roll back in the boy's head.

Hiccup slid helplessly to the floor, coughing and gasping and sputtering at the man's feet as Viggo continued his tirade. "I have known damn well that there was something illicit between you and _my_ lovely fiancée for quite some time now," he snarled. "Where do I even _begin_ with the clues? Maybe when she supposedly took you to our healer when you and I both know he refuses to treat slaves…or maybe when she was so relieved to be the one to take you back to the cove rather than Scythe – oh, the _terror_ I glimpsed in her big blue eyes when she thought you'd be in that man's clutches again…"

He watched as the boy – still dizzy and weakened from his near-strangling – finally managed to get back to his feet. "Or maybe…" he kept on, "it was when she knew _exactly_ where to find your room even though she had never been told nor shown where it was located. But most of all…" He glowered into the boy's watery emerald eyes as he kept him trapped against the wall, arms braced on either side of his quivering body. "It was simply the way she _looked_ at you when she thought my back was turned…that special, affectionate way that she has _never once_ looked at me!"

The young slave ducked his shoulders and head down as Viggo's voice rose in volume, and the older man smiled wickedly, enjoying the dominant power he had over the whelp. "So, with all that in mind…I decided to draw up a little fake summons from the Berserkers." He chuckled at the boy's startled gasp. "Yes…it was quite genius, wasn't it. To make the two of you think I was gone…when in reality, I had returned to the island sans fanfare within mere hours. You were both just too busy frolicking in the forest by that time to realize."

Hiccup jolted hard enough at the revelation that he was sure he'd felt his bones rattle. All of their effort, all of their acting and subterfuge had been for naught – Viggo knew _everything_. Did he even possibly know about Toothless…?

"Ah, young love…" the man mocked. "Makes two otherwise intelligent individuals so blissfully oblivious…but it is _most_ entertaining to watch." He smirked darkly. "And watch my men and I _did_ , from a covert distance, anytime you were within the village limits…and I must say, you two honestly do make quite the cute couple." The smirk dissolved into a malevolent scowl. "Too bad you're headed for a very nasty breakup."

Hiccup felt his blood run cold at the calm, collected words.

"And that term reminds me," Viggo began again, "of precisely what I plan to do with my dear wife once she is mine…and _mine_ she will be." His dark eyes were piercing and frigid as they bored into Hiccup's. "And _then_ she'll be sorry…then, she will learn the true gravity of the crimes she's committed, her treason against me as both lord and husband!" His voice lowered again just as quickly as it had risen, the threat sharp and stark. "And I'll make certain that _she_ breaks as well."

"No."

The simple word, far from having the pitiful and pleading tone Viggo had expected, was instead delivered with firmness and finality. The man raised an incredulous eyebrow at his slave. "Excuse me…?"

"I said _no_!" Hiccup shouted, surprised at the brashness behind his own words but unwilling to drop it just the same. After all the wrongs his master had done and said to the young man, it was Viggo's commentary on Astrid that ultimately pushed a step too far over the line. "You don't get to talk that way about her."

"I beg your pardon?" Viggo scoffed. "I will talk about my future bride any way I want as _she is mine!_ "

" _She is not yours_!" Shocked silence settled over the room as Viggo stepped backwards, granting Hiccup the necessary inches and incentive to push himself off the wall and stand to his full height. He glared daggers at the older man, his fright now replaced by fury. "And she never _will_ be…and you wanna know why?!"

Icy jade eyes suddenly flooded with passion, even as they held their coldness toward the wretched chieftain in their sights. "Because Astrid is a woman that the likes of a man like you can _never_ touch!" Hiccup's hands clenched into fists at his sides as he continued to berate Viggo. "She's a fighter and defender where you're just a murderer and destroyer…a force to admired and respected rather than just feared…a leader and nurturer where you're nothing but a tyrant and torturer!"

The boy's voice transformed from loud to low just as his own had done earlier, and for the first time all night, Viggo's self-assurance faltered as the young man finished his rant.

"And you know what else, _big brother_? Master…your _almighty lordship_?" Hiccup mocked with a quick, exaggeratedly flourished bow. "It'll be _her_ that takes you down instead of vice-versa…because she has more strength of character and heart in her _pinkie finger_ than you'll ever have in your entire, miserable being!"

Viggo stumbled, momentarily stunned as the boy pushed him out of the way and then began to storm toward the room's exit, defiance practically radiating from the slim but solid frame. Replaying all those impudent, intractable, downright _sassy_ statements through his head would've normally had the man utterly incensed, mindlessly mad enough to beat the boy into a bloody pulp without a second thought or care. But had his slave bothered to turn around, he would've seen a slow, sinister smile crossing the elder's bearded face rather than any sort of outrage or ire.

"And yet…" the chieftain spoke up with renewed confidence and composure, preparing to fire off a taunt that he knew would stop the young man in his tracks. "She remains under my _thumb_ , does she not?" Viggo watched, expectations fulfilled as the steps halted and the lean back stiffened at the barb, the predictable reaction only causing his smirk to widen that much further.

"No," Hiccup breathed, then hardened his voice in a sudden resolve to show no more uncertainty or fear – even though his nerves were practically jangling with both. "No, she does _not_ …not anymore because she's already gone. Because she was strong enough to _leave you_!"

"Leave me?" came Viggo's wry echo as he began to leisurely saunter forward. "Well… _me_ , yes, perhaps. But she could never leave a certain someone else, am I right?"

Hiccup barely tensed as he heard the footsteps approach, keeping his arms crossed tightly against his chest and his back boldly facing his lifelong tormentor. He knew that to run at this point would likely incite the man into definite and _deadly_ action; still, though, he couldn't help feeling that any second a knife would plunge between his shoulder blades regardless, or hands would once again wrap around his neck only this time with the intention of snapping it…yet even so, he couldn't hold back a trademark sarcastic reply. "Whatever _that_ means."

Viggo only chuckled at the insolent mumble. "It _means_ , my dear boy," he calmly led on in response, "that I just don't quite buy into the hype. Granted, Astrid is a indeed a woman of great strength as you say, and I do genuinely respect that." He silently savored the boy's continued rebellious stance as he came to stand behind him. "However, I've observed her closely enough to know that she's developed a glaring, crippling _weakness_ as well…one that I can effectively exploit and use against her to ensure her ultimate downfall." The Hunter grinned as the boy – still not turning to face him – skeptically huffed and tossed the hair from his eyes…the flippant attitude on full display unknowingly playing _right_ into his scheming hands.

" _Name it_ ," the brunet challenged, startling seconds after despite himself at the unexpected, unsettling feel of an arm snaking around his narrow waist.

"Now why would I need to do that," Viggo unctuously replied, hot breath brushing the youth's freckled cheek, "when she's already _given_ you a name…" His other hand lifted a soft auburn wisp concealing the boy's left ear, allowing the man to place his mouth there and whisper the final word directly and dangerously into it. " _Hiccup_."

The lithe frame, so full of grit and spirit up to that point, went instantly rigid with dread against him, green eyes huge and horrified. Viggo released his hair with a triumphant grin, hearing the boy draw in a sharp, shallow breath, then another, and another before he burst into action all at once, a flurry of frenzied, flailing motion as he bolted away from his captor in a desperate dash for the door. A thrill danced through the cruel chieftain as he watched his young slave fast approach the threshold…

…only to _literally_ run into his ever-loyal and _punctual_ captain of the guard, the force of collision with the rock-hard form sending the boy sprawling onto his back in a tangle of long, lanky limbs.

"Well now, ain't this my lucky day…" another voice spoke up behind Scythe, and a dazed and disoriented Hiccup cringed to see not only Viggo's right-hand man looming above him, but his two flunkies as well…the same trio that had assaulted him in the very same room what seemed like an entire lifetime ago. "Long time no see… _sweetheart_ ," Mort – the shortest, squattest, and indisputably sleaziest one – greeted with a smirk as he reached down for the boy.

Hiccup gasped, launching into a panicked crab-crawl backwards as he struggled to find purchase on the slick hardwood floor. A large hand came within inches of him and he kicked out blindly, feeling a brief flicker of satisfaction when his boot connected with the soldier's stocky chest, winding him long enough for Hiccup to scramble to his feet and swing out an equally wild fist at Scythe.

It was like punching a stone wall. The massive man shook off the surprisingly-powerful blow to his chin all too quickly, and Hiccup realized that there would be no defeating even one of them, let alone three. His only chance was to power past them through the door. The brunet primed his slight muscles all he could and then shot forward in a flash, managing to nearly break the grip of Mort and the third man before a fed up Scythe put a decisive end to his attempts.

"Enough of these _games_!" A steely, unforgiving hold locked around Hiccup's entire midsection at the words, the brawniest soldier effortlessly lifting the lightweight boy clean off his feet and leaving him to kick hysterically and helplessly against the confinement. Hiccup thrashed and writhed and twisted for all he was worth, choking and snarling out protests all the while before Viggo finally reached the end of his patience and strode over their way purposefully.

"Yes, I agree." Quick as lightning, he balled a fist and struck Hiccup in the solar plexus with it, the blow incapacitating the youth enough for him to slump limply in Scythe's grasp. "That's better," the chieftain sneered as the fussing fell silent.

"Damn wiry kid packs a wallop," Mort muttered, half annoyed and half amused as he rubbed his own newly bruised chest. "But I like 'em feisty…just makes 'em all the more fun, eh, sir? Whets the appetite…"

"If you say so," Viggo replied offhandedly, ignoring the buffoon to give a pointed glance to his captain of the guard. "Though while we're on the subject of so-called fun and games…I have some interesting education to impart to the boy. I simply need him to be paying full attention…if you'll do the honors with that, Scythe?"

"Gladly," the soldier grinned and then wrenched Hiccup's head up by the hair, fingers twined savagely in the longish russet locks. The young man yelped, vision dizzy and blurry from tears of pain as he forcibly faced Viggo, who tutted mockingly at him.

"Poor, poor Hiccup…so mistreated and misused. But then, what did you expect when you have so little value." He tilted his slave's chin to look at him directly. "Tell me, my dear boy…have you ever heard of the game of Chess? It's a bit of a refined hobby, so I highly doubt that you have…it's very similar to Maces and Talons, but quite different as well." Reaching into a pouch on his belt, Viggo produced three small clay objects and held them out for inspection. "You see, rather than chiefs and hunters, you have pieces such as these…the largest one is known as the King. Unsurprisingly, it has the most worth on the board…but here we have another important piece in the Queen. Definitely a piece you don't want to lose. And then…"

The man smirked maliciously as he separated the third piece from the other, larger two and lifted it to Hiccup's eye level. "Then, you have the pawn, here…the smallest, most common piece on the game board and therefore, in the grand scheme of things, the most _worthless_." The boy flinched as he suddenly dropped said game piece onto the floor. "Essentially, it is but a tool to advance those of higher ranking than it…a possession to be used, even _sacrificed_ , for the betterment of others. So, let's review. The indispensable King…" Viggo selected the largest piece, waving it in the boy's line of sight before safely stuffing it back into the pouch. "The respectable Queen…" He did the same with the second largest piece. "And, finally…"

A shiver ran through Hiccup from head to toe when Viggo brought a hand to his face, thumb trailing across the skin of his cheek and tracing the freckles there…a coincidental yet chilling perversion of Astrid's earlier gesture of adoration.

"Finally," the older man whispered forebodingly, "you have the little, insignificant _pawn_." He smiled once more at the youth before removing his hand, nodding for Scythe to also release his fistful of hair and watching in satisfaction as the auburn head lolled weakly. "And since I've been controlling this game, dear Hiccup, I think you know by now who is what piece…" The simple smile widened into a wolfish grin. "Oh, yes…I had you slated as having potential for the role after I learned of how Astrid saved you…and then pegged as _perfect_ for it the moment I discovered she'd _named_ you."

"Fool of a girl…" Mort jeered off to the side. "Ought'a know once ya name somethin', ya start gettin' too attached…"

"Alas, that's what happens when you allow your heart to rule your head," Viggo concurred, teasingly tugging a strand of Hiccup's hair before backing away, arms smugly crossed. "Fortunately, that's never been a concern of mine…has it, _Saber_?"

The boy stubbornly raised his head in response to the scornful words. "Doesn't need to be when you _have_ no heart," he snarked, green gaze fiery behind tousled bangs. "And if your head's so full of Chess expertise, by the way…maybe you remember that for most of the game, the Queen is way more powerful than the King? Or, hey…maybe you just don't _want_ to." Hiccup's lips quirked up slightly, and Viggo glowered.

"I won't ask how you know anything about such a sophisticated sport…but I _will_ inform you that the time for that is over because _this_ , boy, is _endgame_." He stalked back toward the younger man still in Scythe's hold and grabbed him heatedly by the chin. "I would also mention how it's still possible for the match to continue without the Queen, but that's of no consequence to you…" Still gripping the twenty year-old, Viggo lifted a foot and smashed it onto the smallest game piece that he'd discarded to the floor, grinding the clay into dust beneath the sole of his boot before glaring back into a stalwart emerald gaze. "Because the pawns are _first_ to go…and you'll be no exception."

Hiccup had no time to prepare for the second fist that was then swung his way, this one hitting the side of his head and sending him wavering in and out of consciousness. Seizing the brunet's chin one more time, Viggo stared with shrewdness into the now half-lidded eyes. "I may have no heart of my own, dear boy…" the man whispered ominously, "but I most certainly have Astrid's…because I have _you_." The Hunter grinned in gratification, finally stepping away from his slave so that his other two soldiers could approach. "Get some rope and a cloth," he addressed them once they had. "You know what to do with it."

"Oh, do we ever," Mort cackled lecherously as he ran a grubby, indulgent finger along Hiccup's jaw line and lower lip – one that the young man would've otherwise bitten with _extreme_ force and prejudice had his faculties not been so impaired. "Been lookin' forward to trussin' this'un up again for a good, long while…"

"You three do that, then…but nothing more," Viggo ordered strictly.

"But, sir—"

"But _nothing_ , Mort!" the Reaper chieftain snarled. "I want the boy delivered to the village's southern border _unscathed_ …and _unspoiled_." Spinning on his heel, he strode briskly to the door.

"Why there?"

"Because, Scythe," Viggo paused to more coolly answer his right-hand man, "that's where Astrid will be waiting…and my headstrong fiancée has one _final_ lesson to learn."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Come on, Hiccup…where are you?"

Astrid sighed worriedly as she paced back and forth, eyes on the crest of the hilly slope separating the village and the forest – their planned rendezvous point. It was nearly two hours past the moment they'd designated it as such, but her friend and love still hadn't arrived. For most of her time there thus far, she had sat patiently on the grass with her belongings and a small supply bag of her own, plus Sharpshot beside her – the little orange cat's purring presence like a balm to her anxious heart. Now though, the feline had long since fallen asleep in his basket, and the young woman found herself alone with her troubled thoughts, each one envisioning a scenario worse than the last.

She longed to throw her trusty axe and some other weapons she had appropriated at the nearest copse of trees – each one of them emblazoned in her mind's eye with Viggo's pompous face – if only to distract herself with something…but she refrained for fear that it would draw any amount of attention. She wished Sharpshot was still awake…she wished she had something quiet to do other than pace…she wished that Hiccup would _get here already_.

"I swear to you, you insufferably cute string bean, if you—oh _thank the gods_!"

The glow of what appeared to be a torch instantly alleviated Astrid's fretting as it broke over the rise. No one else that she knew of was supposed to be out at this time of night – or at least not so far out from the village – so she knew it had to be her Hiccup at long last. She smiled as she began walking toward the approaching light, warmth filling her entire body at the prospect of reuniting with him and finally escaping together…

Warmth that immediately turned to _ice water_ upon seeing who really held the torch instead.

"Going somewhere, dearest?"

Disbelief flooded through Astrid's nervous system with enough force to leave her swaying on her feet. Rather than Hiccup, it was none other than Viggo Grimborn who stood before her, the very last person she either wanted or _expected_ to see…she had no clue how or why he was already back from his mission to Berserk, but back he was. Right there, right in front of her with a calculating expression on his face…and there _she_ was, with no appeasing excuse or explanation as to what she was doing.

"I…was j-just—"

"Oh, don't even bother," Viggo cut off her lame attempt with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I know things are over between us…over before they even began. I know…" he sighed with a shake of his head, "that you're leaving me."

Astrid swallowed thickly, alarmed by the disconcerting smile on the man's lips and not even comforted by the lack of a weapon in his hand. Tension grew in her muscles as he spoke on, a strangely cheery tone in his voice.

"And as deeply as I do regret that things didn't work out with our would-be marriage, I am not here to stop you or coerce you back." The disturbing smile broadened into a bone-chilling grin as he gestured a prompting hand behind him. "Instead, I'm merely here to drop a little something off to you as a parting gift…a little something that I know you _certainly_ won't want to leave – or perhaps even _live_ – without."

Astrid's blue eyes widened in shock when, seconds later, the same three soldiers she had told off all those nights ago appeared over the crest, evil smirks on their faces as they dragged a limp, lanky form between them, his hands bound behind his back and his mouth gagged.

Wide, terrified emerald eyes met hers beneath disheveled reddish-brown bangs…and the bottom dropped straight out of her stomach.

" _HICCUP_!"

The blonde had no power to hold back the instinctive scream that escaped from her as Scythe roughly pushed the boy to his knees, the brute's iron hand fisting in his longish auburn mop to keep him still. Horror and adrenaline surging, Astrid launched forward, rushing toward the young man she loved and his captors absolutely heedless of the danger to herself…only to stop dead in her tracks when Viggo drew a sword from his third soldier's scabbard and pointed the tip at Hiccup with a baleful snarl to her.

" _Don't_." Lowering the weapon once he was sure the girl would move no further, Viggo passed the torch to the same soldier and began to pace the ground, sword still in hand. "I see now, dearest, that your interests have turned… _elsewhere_ when it comes to matters of the heart. Now normally I would be quite offended by such a thing, but in this case you needn't worry, Astrid," he consoled with an unnerving lilt to his tone. " _Far be it_ for me to waste my time on such a futile endeavor when I've got better things to do…so you'll be pleased to know, as of this very moment, the wedding is off!" His grin was like that of a shark sensing a meal. "And furthermore, you can even return home to Berk, free of consequence…all I ask for, in turn, is a little _compromise_."

Astrid didn't hesitate. "Fine, _whatever_ , you can take anything but just—"

"Oh dearest, what kind of compromise would that be?" Viggo interrupted. "I don't wish to simply _take_ …I want to _give_ as well." He ceased his pacing at the words, but kept his smile. "That in mind, I concluded that it would work best to treat our broken engagement the same way as a divorce…to _split_ our most precious possessions between the two of us." Chuckling darkly, he locked eyes with his ex-fiancée and then nodded to his captain of the guard. "Allow me to go first."

Astrid's stricken gasp echoed throughout the forest as Scythe suddenly wrenched Hiccup's head backwards by the hair at the words, exposing his freshly bruised throat…and forcing a scream so abruptly from her own that it practically scraped her vocal chords raw.

" _NOOO_!"

Viggo looked incredulously at the girl. "Excuse me, my _former_ bride-to-be?" he sniped. "Are you disputing my claim to my property?" Haughtily, he stalked over to his captive and thrust his sword at the boy's upper chest, cutting the lacings on his tunic with flawless aim and accuracy so that Mort could push it off his shoulders while Scythe retained a grip on his russet locks. The young man yelped through his gag at the action, then froze as the touch of sharp metal slid to rest directly over his wildly beating heart. "You see?" Viggo turned pointedly to Astrid, barely skimming his sword's tip across the skull-shaped brand that marred a small area of the boy's smooth skin. "He may be _your Hiccup_ …but for far longer he has been and _still is_ my slave! He bears _my mark_ …"

Astrid opened her mouth to protest vehemently, but Viggo once again beat her to the punch.

"However, I meant what I said about my willingness to share what's mine – especially those things that you equally desire a part of as well, so please, _do tell me_ , dearest…"

The Hunter lifted his sword and placed the end of it at the juncture between Hiccup's neck and left shoulder, deliberately nicking the skin enough to send drops of blood trickling over the youth's bared collarbone before raising the weapon high for the killing slice.

"…which parts of the boy would you like?"

TBC…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: *goes from hiding to running again* PLEASE DON'T CHOP ME, PLEASE DON'T CHOP ME, PLEASE DON'T CHOP ME! *pauses*

…or you'll never find out whether or not Hiccup gets chopped by Viggo… *goes back to running even faster*

Guest: I'm back, I came back, it's okay! Only well, now it's kind of _not_ okay because of this probably even worse cliffhanger I just left you all on, but…

ANOTHER UPDATE COMING TOMORROW, EVERYONE! AT LEAST SPARE ME TILL THEN! :-O

-PWK


	17. Chapter 17

DISCLAIMER: *robotic voice* Hello, this is a pre-recorded message from— _PsychicWonderKitty_ —in case of unavailability or emergency. Message is as follows: *beep* _I don't own HTTYD, I only own this story with cliffhangers that have me on the run, tell my family and friends and cat I love them…_ *beep* Thank you for listening, goodbye.

SPOILERS: This fic is considerably AU, so none except a few already widely-known aspects of plot and characters are involved. Warning for intense scenes both physical and emotional, plus injury in this chapter! Still safely T-rated...but please think twice about reading if any of these will offend you! It is not my intent to upset anyone in this way.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **Boundless**

PREVIOUSLY: _"However, I meant what I said about my willingness to share what's mine – especially those things that you equally desire a part of as well, so please,_ do tell me _, dearest…"_

 _The Hunter lifted his sword and placed the end of it at the juncture between Hiccup's neck and left shoulder, deliberately nicking the skin enough to send drops of blood trickling over the youth's bared collarbone before raising the weapon high for the killing slice._

"… _which parts of the boy would you like?"_

 **Chapter 16**

Astrid felt herself go breathless with trepidation at the taunting words, muscles paralyzed and eyes blown wide open. Viggo held his blade aloft as if truly waiting for an answer to the heinous question for only a few seconds, all too quickly deciding for himself that one wasn't coming.

"Fine, then…" he shrugged. "I'll just split him right down the middle!" The cruel chieftain started to swing the sword down toward Hiccup at the words, and the defenseless boy went completely rigid in Scythe's grasp, squeezing his eyelids shut as tightly as they could go and only able to brace himself for the gruesome end…

And Astrid instantly found her air again, sucking it in quickly and then expelling it in an almighty shout at the top of her lungs.

" _STOOOOOOOOOOOPPP_!"

Gritting his teeth at the sound of the ear-splitting shriek, Viggo angrily did so if only to further challenge the now panting girl, smugly observing how hard her chest heaved after all the effort expended in her yell.

"Oh, so you _do_ have a preference…" he jeered at her in triumph. "Very well…shall we start with these pretty green eyes that caused your own to wander so?" With impeccable control, he slowly brushed the very tips of Hiccup's lashes with the point of his sword, sheer terror holding the boy's every muscle completely immobile.

"Don't, _please—_ "

"Or perhaps all this lush hair you can't seem to keep your equally wandering _hands_ out of," he growled over Astrid's choked begging, smoothing the weapon through Hiccup's bangs and then using it to scornfully flick the braids she created. "Yes, it wouldn't hurt to start out superficial before things get truly _messy_ …provided I don't get too carried away and take off his entire head—"

" _I said just STOP_!"

Viggo's smirk merely grew wider at her outburst. "Give me _one good reason_ to do so, dearest." Not wanting to relinquish any of the power he held over the two young lovers, he lowered the blade to once more rest against Hiccup's skin, ghosting it up and down the long column of the boy's neck as his dark glare turned to his former bride-to-be. "Give me one good reason why I _shouldn't_ put a bloody end to this worthless little whelp that you chose over me!" Hiccup gasped in panicked fright through his gag as the man started to dig the blade into his exposed throat, and Astrid blurted the only words she knew of that could possibly keep it from being slit.

"Because I'll marry you!" Her blue eyes beseeched him, but Viggo only snorted disdainfully.

"That ship has sailed, my dear Astrid."

She, however, was prepared for such a response…and ready to give her all to a man she hated in order to save the boy she loved. "I'll marry you..." she repeated, her voice now reduced to a pained whisper. "And…I'll _fully_ submit to you."

Viggo's face remained impassive at the statement, but inside, he was practically preening with accomplishment. They were words he thought he'd never hear, yet at the same time, exactly the ones he'd been waiting for… _exactly_ the ransom he'd intended his young hostage to gain him. "Fully submit, you say?" A spark of self-satisfaction crept into his tone. "Submission in _every_ sense of the word…doing what I say, when I say, why and how I say?" He finally lowered his weapon back to his side as he sternly stared down the blonde woman. "Doing _all_ that I say."

"Anything and everything," Astrid confirmed, her heart breaking as Hiccup, now finally free from Scythe's hold on his hair, shook his head feverishly while letting loose a string of muffled protests.

"Mmmph! Affrd, nuhh dnt… _nuh_ _Affrd_!"

But with incredible difficulty, she forced herself to ignore them in the knowledge that surrendering to Viggo was the only way to save Hiccup's life…even if that meant she was no longer allowed to be part of it. Bravely, Astrid stepped up to Viggo, her stomach roiling at the victorious smile on the man's face as she pledged fealty to him. "I'm all yours…no complaints." She swallowed every ounce of pride she ever had and demurely bowed her head before looking up at him again. "All I ask for, just like you…is compromise."

The grin on Viggo's lips wavered for only a second. "Very well…I'm listening."

Astrid gulped, well-aware that this was the moment of truth, an honest-to-gods 'do-or-die' situation – either she did, or the love of her life died. She steeled herself to gaze into Viggo's soulless brown eyes, struggling to take no notice of the wide, soul _ful_ green ones just behind the man. "You get me only if you let Hiccup live."

"Of course, dearest! I assure you the boy will remain alive just as long as you—"

"I wasn't finished!" she snapped back, stifling any further empty placations. "You get me only if you let Hiccup live, and moreover…only if you _let him go_. Unharmed." The initial request was like a floodgate opening, releasing a torrent of additional words. "He won't be your property anymore…he'll be recognized as a free individual rather than a slave, and he'll be given safe passage from here to my home island of Berk, where he'll be allowed to settle and live peacefully without ever hearing from you or any other Reaper again." She heard Scythe and Mort both grunt in disapproval at the demands, making her conviction in them all the stronger. "Those are my terms," she finished, crossing her arms and waiting with bated breath for the answer.

So lost in the pivotal moment had Astrid been, however, that she had failed to detect the changes taking place in Viggo's countenance along the way. With every stipulation concerning the _future_ guaranteed well-being of his young slave, the man's smug grin had started to dim more and more until it ultimately disappeared altogether, darkening into a thin-lipped scowl. The perturbed expression vanished just as quickly as it had developed, though, and he met the steadfast girl's expectant, enchanting azure orbs with complete composure. "Shall we seal our deal with a kiss, then, dearest…?"

Astrid felt her guts tighten in revulsion and dread at the calm request, but she knew she had no choice other than to comply with it for Hiccup's sake, to rescue the boy once and for all from his life of constant abuse and oppression. Glancing apologetically into those emerald eyes – now shimmering with a sheen of tears for her – that she so adored, she then closed her own and hardened her resolve as Viggo's calloused fingers came up to trace the curve of her cheek. Hot, foul breath hit her face and she prepared for the awful feel of his lips on hers…

Only to find herself utterly taken aback as she was literally _shoved_ back – so violently that she nearly toppled onto the grass – in a decisive show of rejection from Viggo.

"A valiant effort, dearest," the man sneered with a deep frown, "but it takes far more than a few beguiling lies to trick someone of my intelligence…and I will no more be made your fool by believing what isn't true than by refusing to believe what _is_. I know _without doubt_ that even if your mind and body _do_ submit in every way to me, your heart and soul in _no_ way will because _those_ parts of you will forever lay elsewhere!" His voice took on an incensed edge as he shot a contemptuous look at Astrid. "With your home, with your family and friends…but most infuriatingly with your precious _Hiccup_!" The Hunter turned to stalk towards the boy, and the young woman's stomach clenched in fear. "I know that you'll always long for your true love even though you are bound to me…that you'll see the boy's sunny smile and those big green eyes instead of mine, that you'll never care for me the same way you infinitely care for him…and therefore you will never be fully and truly _mine_ to own and control!"

"No, that's not—" Astrid stammered ineptly as Viggo came within striking distance of Hiccup. "I can—"

"You can do _nothing_ , my dear," the man cut her off cruelly. "Because those are facts that I just cannot bring myself to accept…and this being the case…" He turned to pierce Astrid with a pitiless stare. "I reject your bargain…and _you_ along with it."

Her heart sank to her toes. She had fallen short, her negotiations unsuccessful…and now she was out of chances and Hiccup was out of _time_. When she saw Viggo's sword start to raise once more, Astrid's unraveling mind could only cobble together one last-ditch effort to prevent the inevitable.

"Fine!" she barked at him, glare cold as ice. "But if you kill him, you had better be sure to kill me, too…because if you don't, I will be damn sure to rain _Hel_ down on you and this whole island for all you've done!" Her nails bit into the skin of her palms in fury as she continued on recklessly. "And either way, you'd best get ready to deal with the whole of Berk…and I warn you that while my tribe may be small in numbers, they will fight ferociously to the last man and woman either at my command or in my honor!" She lowered her voice again, punctuating her finishing sentence in one final hope to get Viggo to change his mind. "It's entirely up to you if you want that for your own tribe…just consider that, for once, you _won't_ be the first to attack."

Tentative silence filled the clearing after she was done. His back to her and facing Hiccup, whose head was bowed with eyes shut in what was either sorrow or prayer, Viggo put a hand to his own chin and scratched his goatee contemplatively. Astrid held her breath as the wheels in the man's head spun for several long seconds, only releasing it in a shocked exhale when her seemingly futile threats against the Reaper chief unbelievably came to fruition.

"So be it, then…this foolish drama isn't even worth the bloodshed," Viggo denounced. "Your little _boy toy_ here is officially free…I'll find another slave _and_ a different, less defiant wife to break!" Irritated and now just wanting to be rid of his two burdens, the man brusquely jerked the gag from Hiccup's mouth and pulled it over his head, flinging the sodden cloth to the ground. As the youth coughed and gasped in fresh air for the first time in nearly an hour, a gruff nod to Scythe prompted the hulking soldier to grudgingly cut the rope binding his hands as well. That done, Viggo then took the brunet by his bare shoulders and roughly thrust him toward Astrid.

The young woman felt an indescribable rush of relief as she caught the stumbling boy in her arms, one hand sliding around Hiccup's upper back while the other nestled in his soft auburn hair to hold his trembling body close as she could. His arms tentatively came to encircle her in turn, and she reveled in the living warmth of his skin and the hitching rise and fall of his chest against hers – especially when, just seconds earlier, she had feared she'd never feel any of those things again.

But upon seeing Viggo's burning glower directed toward them, she sagely decided to the cut their moment short. "Good luck with that," she retorted sarcastically to the man before switching her focus back to Hiccup. "Come on, babe," she murmured in his ear, "let's get out of here for good."

"Good _riddance_ ," Viggo spat…but Astrid didn't even bother to react, instead simply taking Hiccup's hand and setting off toward the forest, backs turned to the chieftain as his dark gaze followed their every move.

"Astrid?" Hiccup questioned in a small, worried voice, "I-I'm not so sure about this…"

"I know…me neither," she admitted in a wary whisper. Her spine had suddenly broken out into prickles, cold sweat gathering along its base…she knew without even looking that Viggo was watching them go – _intently_ so. "Just stay with me, okay?" the blonde softly instructed Hiccup as her feet began to pick up the pace, pulling the boy along. "We'll come back for Sharpshot on Toothless later once they're gone…he's safe in the basket. Right now we just need to _move_ …" Though she was unsure what Viggo and his men could do from long range with nothing but swords, the fear was growing that they had both gotten off _far_ too easily to be true.

Viggo, meanwhile, smiled as the youths began their walk and shot a prodding glance to his loyal captain of the guard beside him…the smile only widening as the soldier obediently pulled out a concealed crossbow behind the unaware couple.

"I do not fear war of any magnitude," the brute grumbled, and his chief chuckled.

"Nor do I, Scythe, my good fellow…I just made them _think_ I did." His face and quiet voice were infused with arrogance. "In reality, I'll relish ridding our archipelago of that weak-willed, pesky tribe of hers when war comes," he dismissed. "But, in the here and now and as greatly I've enjoyed playing all these mind games with our two lovebirds…it's finally time to end this particular match – time to claim _victory_."

As Viggo's soldier readied the weapon, Astrid and Hiccup continued to move toward the tree line, going from walking to jogging…and finally, running. The prickly sensation was steadily morphing into an icy dread, but for fear it might trip them, the young woman didn't dare look back to see any reason why. "Keep going, Hiccup, just keep running and don't stop, _no matter what_!" she relayed to the boy, his hand still held tightly in her own as they sprinted.

The gradual increase in their speed was apparent from even several yards back, but it was of no concern to Viggo. He knew his captain of the guard was exceptionally skilled with his weapon of choice…however, the man's aim was not to his liking. "Don't fire yet, Scythe…you're off just a tad," he corrected coolly, and the proud man immediately protested.

"What do you mean, sir…I have the arrow directly in line with her heart!"

"Then try again," Viggo admonished. "First of all, our goal is not a quick kill…but secondly and more importantly, _that_ kind of aim won't pierce the girl's heart." He reached over to push the crossbow slightly to the right, a devilish grin spreading across his face that Scythe returned as he suddenly figured it out for himself.

"This aim _will_. Checkmate, my dear…" The Hunter gloated…and his soldier let the arrow fly.

Astrid and Hiccup made the edge of the clearing at the very same instant, shooting into the forest just as the projectile shot from the bow. Up to that point, the young woman had been mentally saying goodbye to every special person in her life every time her leading foot had hit the ground, one friend or family member per each pump of her legs. There was hardly any doubt in her mind now that she'd never get the chance to do it personally…the sense just wouldn't go away that she was living her last moments on the earth, about to become a martyr for her tribe. Her lower back was painfully tight even as she ran alongside her love, readying her body for whatever was surely coming.

She was not ready, however, for the jarring sensation of her right arm nearly being jerked from its socket as Hiccup's running came to a complete and very sudden halt, their interlocked hands separating and a small grunt escaping from his lips. Knowing every split-second now counted, Astrid spun around to scold the boy for stopping when she'd so explicitly told him _not_ to do so, to order him to get moving again before something happened to him…

Only to find that something already had.

Russet bangs hung down in front of Hiccup's face, blocking the expression it held from view as he looked down at his stomach…his shaking, bloodied hands miserably clenched around the arrowhead that now protruded from it. The young man slowly raised his head to look at the girl he treasured, who also so treasured _him_ , green eyes huge and helpless as he exhaled her name. "A-A-Astrid…" Strength draining from his limbs with every scarlet drop that drained from his wound, he crumpled toward the forest floor with a breathy sigh.

And Astrid's entire world simultaneously crumbled around her.

" _Hiccup_!" She could barely choke out the word – that simple word that had come to mean everything to her – much less scream it out like she wanted to do as she burst forward and caught him before he hit the dirt, oblivious to how her leggings had torn on sharp sticks and stones as she skidded to her knees atop them. "H-Hiccup, _no_ …" she whispered in shock. Holding him close against her, she could feel the warm blood already leaking through his thin tunic and knew she had to stop the flow as fast as possible on both sides – the puncture, though blessedly small in diameter, was through-and-through.

Yet even as she easily made the decision to leave the shaft alone – determining that pulling it out would cause him to bleed more profusely – a new, equally unwelcome smell invaded her senses in conjunction with the coppery tang of crimson. It was bitter, stringent, essentially _medicinal_ in nature…and with a jolt, Astrid immediately shifted Hiccup in her arms to look at the arrowhead. Sure enough, to her further horror, it and the shaft were coated beneath the blood in a strange purple substance that was undoubtedly the source of the scent…and despite it, she knew good and well that it was actually the _antithesis_ of medicine.

 _Poison_. Her mind bellowed the word, even as a terrified murmur was all that could pass her lips. "I'm so sorry, babe…I'm sorry…" Leaning him against her on his side, Astrid wrapped quavering fingers around the arrow's tail end, knowing now that the tainted shaft would have to come out before his body absorbed more of the toxic concoction. Promptly and properly positioning her hands, Astrid snapped the shaft cleanly in two as close to where it entered Hiccup's lower back as she could manage, then discarded the tail end. Hiccup moaned weakly at the action.

"H-hurts…"

"I know, oh babe, I know…" she attempted to soothe, pressing a feverish kiss into his downy auburn locks. "But I have to do it—Viggo, he…" Trailing off, she swallowed the remainder of the statement, deciding he was already suffering enough without knowledge of the poison…and dreading the further agony her next actions would bring him with no anesthetic in sight. "I'll be as gentle as I can, okay?" Thinking fast, she swiftly removed the maiden band adorning her head and coaxed Hiccup's mouth open, placing the leather strip between his teeth for him to bite down on in the throes of pain to come. "But this arrow can't stay in you…" she continued whispering as she gingerly turned him to rest his back against her chest, reaching both hands with no effort around his slim form to then take careful hold of the steel head. "Just please hold really still for me…"

His neck tilted back and braced against the top of her shoulder, Hiccup keened in agony and clamped down on the leather strip as she started to slide the rest of the shaft from his abdomen, the sound rending Astrid's heart to pieces. Despising the fact that she couldn't get it over with quickly, she kept her pace slow and steady to prevent any splinters from breaking off inside him, her pull painstakingly level with the angle at which the projectile had entered and exited his body so as not to further aggravate the wound. Blood seeped out around the thin wooden rod as she worked it free, and then began to spurt as soon as the awful thing was extracted completely.

In a fit of rage at all it had brought to the boy she loved, Astrid aimlessly flung the shaft with the tainted arrowhead still attached away from them, farther into the woods, not caring where it landed. She then instantly focused on supporting Hiccup as he slumped against her chest with a breathless moan, quickly throwing an arm underneath his knees with the other around his upper back and powering herself to her feet. "I know, babe, I've got you, we're just going over here…"

Adrenaline coursing through her, she speedily carried him to a large, moss-covered rock no more than two feet high that sloped slightly from top to bottom. With utmost gentleness, she proceeded to drape his body's length along its smooth, velvety surface, the vegetation providing somewhat of a pillow for his head as she carefully laid it down and removed the leather band from his slack mouth. Then, in a hurried frenzy, she set to ripping two pieces from her already rent leggings, making sure they were free of earthen detritus and big enough to cover Hiccup's wound before rolling his tunic up to expose his midriff. The small puncture was just to the left of the boy's navel, exiting at the small of his back, and she pressed the cloths over top of it on both sides upon seeing crimson fluid bubbling out.

Feeling the blood starting to soak through the thick fabric in seemingly no time, Astrid stole a distressed glance at Hiccup's face. His eyes were closed with furrowed brows, his breathing labored with his mouth curled faintly downward – all indicative of the amount of pain he was surely in. But it was even more worrying to her how alarmingly pale his skin was becoming beneath his freckles. Even the soft pink of his lips was slowly whitening, and the young woman could only bear down harder on her makeshift bandages in desperation to slow the bleeding. The disappointment was crushing as she remembered transferring the unused roll of gauze from her belt pouch to her supply satchel they'd left behind them, leaving her with nothing in reach to bind the material to Hiccup's wound… _unless_ …

Keeping one hand held to the cloth against his lower back and the other compressing the one against his stomach, Astrid bent her head down and began the impulsive, almost animalistic process of trying to unravel her arm wrappings using only her teeth – too afraid to release her pressure on Hiccup's injury for even a minute, but hopeful that the leather cording and buckskin padding underneath it could help – if she could only _just. Stop. Shaking_ …!

And then, the feather-light touch of a hand weakly covering her own had her ceasing any movement altogether. She looked down to find Hiccup's half-lidded eyes staring into hers, glazed but seemingly alert and aware at the same time. "H-hey…" she tremulously greeted with an overly bright smile. "You're gonna be o-okay…you know that, right?"

"A-Astrid, it's—"

"No," the blonde promptly cut off his whispering, hearing the undertone of disagreement within it. "No, you _will_ …there's some stuff right back there in my bag, I-I was able to find a suture kit someone had left laying around and I still have some gauze from the healer's, it'll just take me a couple of minutes to get it…" Her words were reassuring even as her voice wobbled. "Or, I-I can go back into the village a-and raid the healer's hut for more things or just drag the healer himself back here." And she would do it without hesitation, Viggo be _damned_ …it was clear that Hiccup needed proper treatment instead of field triage. "Whatever I have to do, I'll do it, just—"

"Stay," came the soft, simple request. "P-please just s-stay here…d-don't wanna be…a-alone." The fading boy fixed his gaze upon the crystalline blue eyes of the young woman he loved, watching them flood with tears that he knew he couldn't dry…his strength was nearly gone. "Can't fff-fight anymore..." Shivers borne of too much blood loss began to wrack his body. "J-just wanna…wanna b-be…be fff-free."

A few seconds of silence preceded the sob that rose up from Astrid's chest. Hiccup's skin was now ghostly pale, the material covering his wound completely soaked through on both sides with a red flow that refused to abate. She blinked hard as if trying to shut out the horrific reality of their situation, but nothing had changed when she opened her eyes again…except for the tears that had broken free from her thick lashes to stream down her face in stark comprehension of the inevitable.

 _Oh, gods…I'm gonna lose him._

"A-Astrid…" A frightened tinge laced Hiccup's plea, and in gut-wrenching knowledge that nothing she was doing – or _could_ do in enough time – was going to prevent his life from slipping away, the girl finally released her grip on the cloths at his back and midsection, the fabric now too saturated to even be effective. Wiping his blood off her unstable hands and onto her ruined leggings, Astrid then gently cupped her palms around the boy's face and stroked her palms over his cheekbones as she resumed speaking.

"It's okay, babe…I-I…" She swallowed thickly, desolately realizing and accepting that it was no longer about her and how much she wanted to dash off and come rushing back to Hiccup's rescue with some miracle remedy, because _gods knew_ she wanted nothing more. "I'm not gonna go anywhere." Instead, she forced the futile idea from her head and focused her attention entirely on _his_ needs…determined to fulfill them no matter how irreparably it broke her own heart.

"M'sorry…" the young man gasped out as if he had read her conflicted emotions, and Astrid hastened to console him.

"No, Hiccup, it's not your fault…I-I understand," she murmured, trailing the backs of her fingers through the feathery russet wisps around his right ear…breath catching painfully in her throat as they brushed the small braids she'd dotingly weaved there. "You…y-you've _already_ fought so hard and so bravely your whole life, a-and I…I-I'm so proud of you and love you so, _so_ much…a-and I always will." A tearful yet tender smile blossomed across her lips as she pressed them to his forehead, her reassurances coming out in warm whispers against his cooling skin. "And you…you _are_ free, now…"

"A-and you, tttt-t-too…?"

"Yes," she comforted, pulling back to caress his face again at the selfless question. "Yes, I'm free, too, right along with you."

The smile the boy gave in return was strained, but entirely lovely just the same. "J-just like we ppp-promised each other…"

"That's right," Astrid nodded as she gazed into his beautiful emerald eyes, her heart clenching in anguish as the smile faded along with his very life.

"T-tired," he breathed, blinking slowly, and the young woman choked back another tortured sob to answer.

"Then rest, babe…" she managed as she ran a quaking hand through his hair, her next words escaping through a throat clogged with tears. "I-I'm right h-here…"

As though he'd been waiting for nothing more than her blessing, Hiccup inhaled and exhaled once, twice, three times more before his eyes finally slid shut, the hand she now held in a hopeless effort to keep him tethered to the world falling suddenly, completely limp in her own.

TBC…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: Umm… _ahhhh_ …heh…*gulp*

I'M SO SORRY.

I AM I AM I _SWEAR_ I AM, I had to end it here to keep a reasonable balance in number of words per chapter and _aaaugh_! **PLEASE READ** this next part, though, two things!

\- There is currently a thunderstorm closing in on my area (how appropriate!) and that in mind, I decided to go ahead and post this chapter before I finished responding to reviews lest I lose internet connection or power. I will respond to everyone in time, though!

\- Because I feel so genuinely horrible about this latest and by far worst cliffhanger, I am not going to make you wait until Tuesday for an update. In other words…

**I WILL BE UPDATING THIS STORY AGAIN TOMORROW!**

Just…whatever you do till then, respect that "TBC" and _**DON'T STOP READING**_! Things are NOT always as they seem! The story is NOT over and our heroes' fates are NOT truly and permanently decided until I label it "complete"…and that's not happening tonight!

HHH III: Haha, I can't tell you if that'll ever come to pass, though it is certainly a plausible guess! All I can say is keep reading to find out what happens next…

Guest 1: I don't know what to say at this point. I truly do apologize (if you are the same reviewer that I debated with before, if not then I'm sorry to you and them too for being mistaken!) that I keep putting you off with certain scenes and how I write them…I don't know what more I can do besides warn people that intense or violent scenes are coming – which I _have_ now been doing beyond the prologue – other than overhaul critical parts of this story and not write them at all…or maybe write them in such sparse detail that it's questionable whether it was written by the same person as the rest of the fic! But I'm sorry, because I'm just not going to do that…these scenes (to say this again) are written to maximize suspense and the evil of the villains, not to glorify torture or anything they are doing! You can choose to believe and accept that or not, and you can choose to keep reading or not…but just the same, I can choose what and how I write, as well as how I end this story and I just don't see things as dismally as what you told me to do. People can go through terrible things – both physically and emotionally – and come out all the stronger for it, can become all the closer to each other for it…so I will NOT kill off either Hiccup OR Astrid on the basis of their having gone through any hardship – no matter how hard it gets – because in my own opinion, if I did that THEN I really would have a reason to be ashamed of what I wrote. Because to me, that would be saying to anyone reading that if you go through something awful, you might as well just give up because you will never have a happy ending. I mean no offense to your sensitivities, but just as you saw that scene in an unfavorable light, that's how I see your solution to it. Keep reading if you want but know that once again, we'll just have to agree to disagree on some of this story's content…and I hope if you _do_ keep reading, said disagreement can once again end up being respectful.

Guest 2: Oh man! *gulp* My hiding skills apparently worked, thankfully for me…but after this chapter, well…*gulps again*

So, _alllllll_ that said…no more running. Do your worst, I totally deserve it after this one. BUT AGAIN, I'M UPDATING TOMORROW AND AGAIN I'M SO SORR-*chop*

-PWK


	18. Chapter 18

DISCLAIMER: *graveside* Here lies a fanfic writer…beneath this sod interred. She ended a chapter crushingly…so her readers ended her. And though she wrote for HTTYD, she owned it not…RIP.

SPOILERS: This fic is considerably AU, so none except a few already widely-known aspects of plot and characters are involved. Warning for some continued messiness and feels related to last chapter's injury; you're good other than that, though!

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **Boundless**

PREVIOUSLY: _"T-tired," he breathed, blinking slowly, and the young woman choked back another tortured sob to answer._

" _Then rest, babe…" she managed as she ran a quaking hand through his hair, her next words escaping through a throat clogged with tears. "I-I'm right h-here…"_

 _As though he'd been waiting for nothing more than her blessing, Hiccup inhaled and exhaled once, twice, three times more before his eyes finally slid shut, the hand she now held in a hopeless effort to keep him tethered to the world falling suddenly, completely limp in her own._

 **Chapter 17**

"Hiccup…?" In total denial and disbelief of what she'd just witnessed, Astrid tried his name softly with a squeeze to his wrist in a simultaneous quest to feel for his pulse. "Hiccup?" she attempted again with increased desperation, but still with no results. "Hiccup, _please_ …" By the third time, she didn't even know why she was begging her love for the impossible and barely registered the tiny, sad mew of Sharpshot as he slunk to her side, having escaped the confines of the basket. It was pointless…the young man didn't hear his cat, and he didn't hear her – _couldn't_ hear her…

He was already gone.

" _HICCUP_!" This time, his name was simply bawled into his auburn locks as Astrid scooped his lifeless body from the ground, cradling the lanky frame in grief to her chest. "N-no…" Disoriented and utterly shattered, it was the only thing she could get out through her crying. "No, no, _no_ …" Her voice rose in pitch and volume with every utterance of the word until she lifted her head from his hair to veritably shriek it into the air, a mixture of shock, rage, and immeasurable devastation that echoed throughout the entire forest.

" _NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_!"

Her oxygen and energy all but spent, Astrid's head then dropped back into its place on top of his as she continued to weep – an action that she had never associated with her tough, wannabe shield-maiden self till this moment. But then, she had never, _ever_ met anyone as sweet and smart and adorably awkward and just overall _amazing_ as Hiccup, had never expected to fall in love her whole life through _period_ …and she knew she never would again.

Another round of sobs tore through her at the recognition of those facts, the only sound amongst the chirping of the early birds in the tranquil woods as dawn began to break over the horizon…other than the shrill screech that suddenly pierced through the quiet in seeming response to her own.

Astrid tightened her grip on Hiccup's limp form at the eerie noise, not caring that the boy was now beyond protecting and wondering if some nameless forest spirit or monster was coming to put her out of her misery…

And then, she abruptly realized that she _recognized_ that chilling call.

"Toothless!" she exclaimed in surprise, still holding onto Hiccup as the obsidian dragon – having picked up on the distressed shout of his female human friend minutes ago – came crashing through a gap in the trees ready to defend her and his boy…only to find he had arrived too late. The blonde girl was clutching her mate's motionless body firmly, the waves of sorrow radiating from her almost visible while the scent of blood and…another ' _bad-wrong'_ smell became heavy in the Night Fury's sensitive nostrils.

He approached questioningly, and Astrid turned to regard the dragon with wonder. In her all-consuming panic and grief, she had practically forgotten about their scaly friend…only now there was no more 'their'. No more _them_ …no more _him_.

A fresh supply of tears that seemed to have no end flooded her eyes as she laid Hiccup's body back down against the mossy rock – treating him as though he were fragile as glass – before lifting her swollen eyes to address the new arrival. "H-he's gone…oh T-Toothless…h-h-he's gone!"

The dragon cooed in concern at how upset the human female was, but at the same time, he understood. She couldn't sense what he could as he stared discerningly at Hiccup…there was still life, though very little, left in their boy. And the Night Fury knew just how to save it.

Swiftly and decisively, Toothless bumped the distraught girl out of his way – pausing briefly to give a friendly look to the little orange creature that sat close to her with its fur fluffed in extreme fright – and moved purposefully toward Hiccup. Unsheathing his teeth, he first pulled away the blood-drenched cloth stuck to his boy's stomach, and then he set about to licking the gory mess clean.

"Toothless!"

He repeated the process with the cloth at Hiccup's back after gingerly rolling the boy onto his side. The girl's outraged shout of his name hadn't even cut into the dragon's concentration, and the second time wasn't any different.

"Toothless, _no_!" Astrid screamed again, horrified as she watched the black beast possibly reverting back to its predatory instincts, to an insatiable taste for human blood…but even as her fingers reached for the handle of her axe, her eyes observed and analyzed the scene before her. With great relief, she was soon able to see that the dragon was focused not on ravenously lapping up the blood, but rather on skillfully salving the wound from which it came. And like a bolt from the blue, a memory shot back into her head…

Night Fury saliva had incredible healing properties.

Light sparked within her darkened world as she turned her gaze toward Hiccup to see that the blood flow had already lessened remarkably. Then the spark became a surge of hope…if Toothless was taking the time and care to treat the injury, it had to very well mean that there was still life left in Hiccup to save. The optimistic thought gained traction when she realized that if the blood pumped through his body enough to keep bubbling out like it had been, it had to mean his heart was still beating and keeping him breathing beyond anything she was able to feel while holding him. Now finally coming back to all her senses, she looked imploringly at the dragon by the young man's side. "Toothless, is…is Hiccup alive?"

Her heart soared as the Night Fury answered her tentative query with an affirmative, wide-eyed warble and a nudge to Hiccup's face. Instantly, she rushed to the brunet's side and gently turned him to lie on his back again, noting with astonishment and awe that the bleeding from his abdominal wound had slowed to nearly nothing beneath the viscous saliva coating it.

Resolute to keep it that way, Astrid instructed the dragon to watch the boy as she sprang to her feet and dashed down the path they'd travelled, quickly finding where she had waited for Hiccup and snagging her discarded satchel as she curved back around, not even stopping in her entire run to and from. Skidding to her knees again at the young man's side, she removed the roll of gauze as well as the small suture kit, hating the idea of causing her love any potential further pain but knowing what needed to be done. Hands still slightly trembling, she looped sterile thread through the needle and then carefully passed the needle in and out of Hiccup's skin, pulling together the edges of his wound as neatly as she could on his stomach, then managing to repeat the actions with his lower back…and finding herself extremely thankful when he didn't come to during the entire process.

The two tiny lines of stitches now secure, she then took the gauze and wound it in snug, careful layers around Hiccup's torso…and nearly jumped out of her skin when – as she was about halfway done – the completely still and silent boy suddenly jolted and gasped in a sharp, starving breath, emerald eyes flying wide open. Squeezing them shut seconds after, he continued to gulp for more oxygen amidst light coughs…and Astrid quickly snapped out of her stunned state upon seeing his struggle. " _Hiccup_! Oh gods, Hiccup…" she cried out as she put one hand firmly against his chest and plunged her other one into his hair, instantly taking to carding through the auburn strands in a soothing manner. "Breathe, babe, _shhhh_ …just breathe, you're okay…you're gonna be okay."

If he comprehended her whispered words in any way, he gave no indication…but to her immense relief, her actions seemed to be having the desired effect as his breathing began to relax, along with his facial features to where it again just appeared as though he were sleeping. But as she finished up wrapping the gauze around him, effectively bandaging and protecting his newly mended injury on both sides, she couldn't help but drink in the sight of Hiccup's chest clearly rising and falling once more. It was no longer just wishful thinking…she hadn't lost him yet, after all.

Overwhelmed with the joyful knowledge and infinite gratitude, Astrid leapt up and threw her arms around Toothless's thick neck in an affectionate hug…but he apparently had no time for that as he jostled her away to prod at Hiccup again, shaking his head and blowing sharp puffs of air through his wrinkled nose as if he smelled something suspicious.

It was then, with no small amount of terror, that Astrid remembered the stringently-scented poison that had coated the arrow. Hiccup was still alive, yes…but he would soon die for real unless he received some kind of antidote. Toothless's reaction had told her that while it may have slowed the effects down, his saliva couldn't completely eradicate the toxin now gradually spreading through the boy's slight body.

Newly infuriated and determined, the blonde plucked her maiden band from where it lay discarded on the ground, fixing it properly around her head once more so that she could briskly stuff the loose strands of hair hanging in her face back beneath it. All visual obstructions now gone, she straightened to full height and glared heatedly in the direction of Viggo's fortress; if a cure existed, she had no doubt she would find it in the horrid man's possession…

And find it she would.

"A-Astrid…?"

The resolution settled in her mind just seconds prior to her name – spoken by _his_ voice – reaching her ears…that sweet, soft, wonderful voice that she thought she would never hear again. Blue eyes glanced down to see glassy but glorious green ones staring at her through half-open lids, and Astrid again dropped to her knees before him – this time in sheer, unadulterated relief. "Hiccup…" she exhaled, taking his hand in hers and now able to feel the blessed pulse in his wrist as she brushed her lips against it. "Welcome back to the land of the living, babe." She beamed as he quirked a small smile at the words, gently lowering their joined hands down to rest over his beating heart.

"M'still…wha…? H-how…?"

"You went into some sort of shock, I think, from all the blood loss," she quietly speculated. "I, um…I-I thought you were…you know—but, hey…here you are, so…I guess the arrow didn't hit anything vital." An airy laugh escaped through the residual tightness in her throat as Toothless and Sharpshot released simultaneous happy trills at seeing their boy awake, both beasts – one scaly and one furry – summarily trotting to his side.

"H-hey, guys…" Hiccup greeted them as best he could before his smile slipped, replaced by a grimace of pain. "H-hurts still…" he moaned, "bu' d'ff-ffr'nt…f-feel w-weird…'m I still bleedin'…?"

"No, babe, Toothless stopped it with his magic spit like we saw before, and then I stitched you up right before you woke up…you're okay," Astrid reassured as she trailed the knuckles of her other hand back and forth across his bare collarbone. "That arrow, though…it was laced with something and that's what's making you feel so bad, but you don't need to worry," she declared. "I know exactly what I have to do to make you feel better, and I won't stop until it's done." Seeing a calmed expression cross his face at her statement, it was with reluctance that she then gave him the hatchet that came after the honey. "I just have to leave you for a bit, okay?"

"Where?" Hiccup whispered. "Where're you goin'…?"

"I just need to go back and get a cure for you, is all." Astrid tried to keep her answer as vague as possible, but the young man was too smart for that and caught on with ease.

"Back…to the village?" A concerned but incredulous edge crept into his tone. "To Viggo? You—you can't do that, what if—"

"I'll be careful!" Astrid blurted. "But I have to do it, Hiccup, because if I don't, there's no ' _what if'_ about it…you'll definitely die!" She huffed, then gentled her voice again. "I'll be in and out, back before you know it…Toothless can stay here to guard you."

The brunet was already shaking his head. "No…Astrid, you need to take Toothless with you, I'll be fine here." His words were steady and sure, but she wasn't convinced.

"Hiccup, you're hurt," she reminded him. "You can't fight anyone off if they find you, you're vulnerable like this—"

"And you're walking into a viper's nest!" the young man countered desperately. "Astrid, _please_ , you've gotta take Toothless with you, he can protect you no problem," he insisted with growing intensity. "But if Viggo catches you a-and you're alone, he might hurt or kill you, and you'll be outnumbered 'cause he has soldiers and there won't be anyone else around to help you and…and…Astrid—"

"Okay, Hiccup, okay!" she relented upon seeing how heavily the boy was now breathing; chances were he was close to passing out again after the pleading frenzy he'd worked himself into, and that was the last thing she wanted. "I'll take him with me." Astrid also came to reason that his logic was sound. With a Night Fury by her side, Viggo wouldn't stand a chance…but moreover, she knew that she and Hiccup _both_ would be as good as dead if she were to blow a solo mission.

Mind made up, the blonde bent down once more to cup the boy's face lovingly in her palms. "You're gonna be okay, babe, I promise," was her solemn and solid vow as she pressed a tender, lingering kiss to his soft lips.

"Be careful, milady," Hiccup murmured, and she nodded before standing and turning to the dragon.

"All right, Toothless, let's go!" Astrid mounted the cooperative Night Fury easily and efficiently, and together woman and beast launched through the trees and into the sunrise above, both set with unflappable determination to save their boy from a tragic fate.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself, sir."

Viggo paused in the walk back toward his fortress from the morning rounds at the words, addressing his captain of the guard with a scowl. "It's not like I care anymore, Scythe…that stupid girl was nowhere near the right match for me." He sniffed haughtily. "Honestly, I am unsure that _any_ woman is…but certainly not that one."

"Fallin' fer a slave boy… _ha_!" His second soldier spat on the ground in distaste, causing the third to scoff.

"You sure seemed to fancy the little _Hiccup_ , Mort."

"Oh, yer damn right I did, but only fer a li'l fun…nothin' more!" he refuted. "Blondie on the other 'and _loved_ the fishbone…I mean, a chief's li'l girl with the lowest form of life! Like it's some kinda damn fairytale. It's prepos'erous!"

His chief shrugged with nonchalance. "Such is life…it just goes to show that truth can often prove to be stranger than fiction, Mort. Besides," he grinned wickedly, "I believe Scythe and I effectively wrecked the young couple's _happily ever after_ , did we not?"

"That we did, sir," the brawny man nodded in approval. "That anguished scream of hers was really something to hear…though I still have yet to figure out what the noise we heard after it was."

Viggo snorted. "Probably a wild animal smelling all the blood from the boy." He resumed his progress with his soldiers following, shallowly examining his nails as he spoke. "And if it tore her apart right after him, at this point it would only be a mercy killing…love is _weakness_ , my good men. Never…"

His words began to trail off as a faint, unsettling whistle filled the air, seeming to grow louder by the second.

"forget…"

Still louder the noise became, almost resembling an odd, phantom-like shriek the longer he listened.

"…that."

"That's the sound I was talking about!" Scythe exclaimed, narrowing his eyes as a black shadow appeared out of nowhere through the clouds. "What is that?"

"Ready your weapons," Viggo coolly instructed his men while keeping his attention on the strange shape. "If this is some sort of—"

He never got to finish his sentence as a bright blue-violet bolt of light suddenly shot out of the sky straight down at him and his soldiers. The three hardened warriors – as well as other soldiers that were milling about the village – scattered like meek mice rather than the murderous men they were, cowering several feet behind Viggo and leaving him standing alone to face the unknown threat. More irritated at the new crater on his land rather than intimidated, he waved away the smoke that blocked his vision, eager to take on the monster that now stood in silhouette in its veil.

Yet, of all the possibilities he had prepared himself to face…the reality of seeing his former future wife – angrier than he'd ever seen a person in all his years – sitting straddled atop a large, black, bat-winged, _equally_ enraged dragon was one he had not prepared for in the least.

"What's the matter, Viggo," the blonde sneered. "Never seen a Night Fury before?"

" _You_..." The Reaper chief's lips curled into an ugly snarl in response. "What is the meaning of this…why are you in consort with this _demon_ and how dare you bring it into my village?!"

"Why are you surprised?" Astrid growled dangerously as she swiftly dismounted Toothless. "I _told you_ that if you hurt Hiccup and left me breathing that I would rain absolute _Hel_ down on you! Does the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself qualify?!"

"It is quite the impressive acquirement," Viggo admitted after a moment's thought, then smiled smugly. "But I was merely keeping my promise, dearest. I promised you that I'd set the boy free…and what greater freedom than release from the burden of _being alive_?"

Inwardly incensed beyond compare at his gall, Astrid somehow managed to keep an impassive expression plastered on her face. "Well, you didn't keep your promise quite yet," she informed him with ice in her tone. "But you can bet that I'll keep mine by having that dragon incinerate you and every last man here who ever so much as _looked_ at Hiccup the wrong way!" Blue eyes pinned Viggo with a steely glare. "Unless you give me the antidote."

"What antidote?"

The question was sickeningly guileless, but Astrid was ready with the perfect response. She directed Toothless to aim at the man's fortress, and a simple nod to the dragon was all it took before a bolt of electric purple streaked into one of the combustible points of the outer walls, setting a significant portion of that cold, empty prison that she had come to hate so much ablaze. Smirking in satisfaction, she turned back to Viggo with a dark reply. "The antidote one of you will point me to within five seconds…unless you want the next few blasts aimed at your heads!"

She waited expectantly, but when the only response she received from the man was a silent glower, she decided to up the ante. "One!" she began loudly and pointedly. "Two!" she shouted again, voice rising even more. "Thr—"

"'E 'as it!" Mort suddenly cried out while waving a frantic index finger at Viggo, his nerve lost well before Astrid could finish her countdown.

The Reaper chieftain, though not without shooting a fuming glare that promised repercussions at his cowardly soldier, took in the unyielding expression on the young woman's face and came to the realization that she was deadly serious in her threat. Begrudgingly, he reached down for a small flask tucked into his belt, kept there just in case he or one of his men had been accidentally nicked by the poisoned arrow before it could be used…and _still_ there due to the fact that he hadn't yet returned it to the healer.

Astrid could see Viggo's burning fortress reflected in his narrowed, pitiless brown eyes as he produced the cure that would save Hiccup's life. She ordered Toothless to hold his fire, knowing that everything now hinged on the bottle clutched in the man's hand. "How is it administered?" she asked him bluntly, receiving an equally flat-toned answer.

"By drinking it."

"Do it."

"Pardon?"

"Take a sip so I can make sure you're not lying and giving me more poison…I wanna see it go in your mouth and down your throat!" she demanded hotly. "But don't even _think_ about drinking the whole thing…unless you fancy being fair game for a dragon!"

"Fine," Viggo relented, uncorking the vial and visibly pouring a few drops of the liquid it contained into his mouth with an exaggerated swallow. "Happy now?" he growled as he replaced the cork.

"Thrilled," Astrid dryly retorted. "Now hand it here!"

Viggo glared resentfully at her, then sighed and shook his head. "What a shame…I suppose this can only mean my worthless little whelp of a former slave has beaten the odds yet again," he muttered bitterly, unsurprised when the girl said nothing in reply. He was only inches from giving over the antidote when a wicked idea flashed through his masterful mind, a matching grin spreading across his face as he drew back his outstretched hand. "Fine, then. If you and the beast want it…"

He trailed off ominously, and try as Astrid did to prepare Toothless for action, they found themselves woefully caught off-guard by what happened next.

"Then go _FETCH_ it!" Viggo finished with a flourishing spin, hurling the flask as far and as high as he possibly could behind him before turning back and taking off running in the opposite direction.

Wanting to pursue but left with no choice, Astrid let the man go and commanded Toothless to find the bottle with a frustrated, wordless shout. The Night Fury hadn't even needed to be told once, already launching away after his boy's only hope of survival with the blonde girl on his back, inexorable determination etched on his reptilian face. Neither of them had any illusions…either they recovered the flask as quickly as possible, or it was all over for their Hiccup.

At their best estimation of where the object maybe had landed, Toothless hovered above the ground for a few seconds so that Astrid could jump from his back, then took back to the air to search from above while she searched on foot. The young woman prayed that she wouldn't hear the sound of glass crunching under her boot as she stepped all around the area, and that was only if the vial hadn't already shattered from the impact of hitting solid earth.

Quickly she approached a small copse of trees, kicking away leaves and pine needles in hopes that it would've made a soft landing amongst them…but no such luck. She supposed she should at least be thankful that the thing had been flung away from the village and that Toothless had all of the soldiers too scared into a stupor to attack, but gratitude was the last thing on her mind as she continued scouring every inch of grass and dirt. A winged shadow briefly blocked out the sun's morning rays, prompting Astrid to look up at her dragon companion through the tree limbs she stood under…

And then a tiny glint of light, perched atop one of the evergreen boughs, caught her eye.

"Toothless!" Astrid alerted the Night Fury, who immediately stopped his own efforts in order to descend from the sky back down to her side. "I see something up there, it may be what we're looking for…I have to get it down!" The blonde began mentally strategizing, oblivious to how the dragon had backed up a couple of feet at her words. "Maybe we can—"

Her suggestion died on the tip of her tongue as Toothless whizzed past her, head-butting the tree trunk with enough momentum to dislodge the shiny object from where it was nestled. Gasping, Astrid sprang into action, using her honed skills of athleticism and accuracy to successfully catch the falling flask before it hit the ground. Her whole body seeming to sigh with relief, the young woman secured the object into her belt pouch and turned to mount Toothless once more…but nearly stumbled in surprise to see none other than Scythe standing a short distance away from them, chuckling at something only he seemed to know while staring directly at her.

"Just ignore him," she whispered to the dragon as she swung her leg over his back, only to flinch in unease as a new sound met her ears – the slow, smooth cadence of mock-applause.

"Well done," the captain of the guard's deep voice goaded, his meaty hands clapping together a few more times before falling back to his sides. "It wasn't an easy game of hide and seek for sure…but you prevailed." He smiled, fearlessly meeting Astrid's frosty blue glare. "And since I know that means you'll be leaving us, Lady Hofferson, I'll be sure to give your regards to my boss when he returns. He's currently engaged in his own round of hide and seek…more of a _hunt_ , if you will."

Astrid felt Toothless's muscles tense underneath her in preparation for flight, and she similarly braced herself, anxious to get away from the burly man and his cryptic statements…when the closing one practically froze the blood in her veins.

"Shouldn't take too long," Scythe commented idly with a wolfish grin. "Especially considering that I've already injured the prey."

A whoosh of air drowned out the soldier's sinister laughter as Toothless rocketed into the sky, knowing they had not a moment to lose just as surely as Astrid now did. Her heart raced along with her thoughts…Viggo's little 'keep away' act hadn't just been a time-waster like she had originally assumed, but also a distraction from his cruel and calculated final move. He was going to finish what he'd started…

"Hurry, Toothless, _hurry_!"

He was going after Hiccup…and all Astrid could do was pray that she and the Night Fury got to the boy before it was too late.

TBC…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: *bursts free from dirt* WHOA! Man, that's harder than slapstick cartoons and zombie movies make it look! And speaking of TV, good thing I picked up some tricks from _Supernatural_ on how to come back to life, eh…'cause would you look at that, I brought Hiccup back to life, too! :-D

Although, I did leave him still in mortal peril by one thing…and then put him in even _more_ mortal peril by another thing! It ain't over till the fat lady sings, as they say…and Hiccup? I'm as skinny as you are, kiddo! Heh-heh…ah, Sam Winchester, aren't you glad I have someone else to pick on now?

Coincidentally, you can thank your friendly emotional Season 11 _Supernatural_ episode for that twist, haha…got it from the one where Sam gets shot in the gut, "dies" when Dean is out of the room, and Dean being the uber-big-bro he is gets ready to go to extreme measures to get him back only to find out – whoops! – Sam's not really dead! (And then Sam goes on to kick serious werewolf butt, to boot!) He'd just gone into shock and had his heart rate and breathing slow to nearly nothing. Lemme tell y'all, that right there is my favorite kind of beloved main character death…actually, really the _only_ kind for me – the one with all of the angst, but none of the permanence! HA! ;-)

HHH III: Ah, what can be said about those Thorston twins! They haven't gotten me again yet, but darn it I know they're out there! Problem with those slippery devils is you never see them coming until it's too late…like a fart in the wind, as Dagur would say! And I'm sure they smell about as pleasant with the lack of bathing and the fish oil hair products and whatnot, LOL.

As for the story, though, thank you so much! However, as I don't want anything that horrible to happen to you because you seem like a pretty cool individual (how could you _not_ be with that screen name? Hehe!), I am happy to tell you that this is the final cliffhanger that you'll have to endure!

Which means…*long, loud, disgusting sniffle*

Yes, that's right, everyone…this story doesn't have long left! In fact, regarding the next chapter – which will be up tomorrow despite the bonus update today! – you folks had better take a deep breath and hold it as long as you can…the final showdown is nigh!

-PWK


	19. Chapter 19

DISCLAIMER: I may not own HTTYD, but hey, I'd bet it's not every day you come across some crazy, obsessive, thirty-something _Dragons_ -fanfic lady, so…at least I'm not boring, right?

SPOILERS: This fic is considerably AU, so none except a few already widely-known aspects of plot and characters are involved. Warnings for threats, fighting, and the intensity and violence that comes with…it's down to the nitty-gritty, folks!

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **Boundless**

PREVIOUSLY: _A whoosh of air drowned the soldier's sinister laughter as Toothless rocketed into the sky, knowing they had not a moment to lose just as surely as Astrid now did. Her heart raced along with her thoughts…Viggo's little 'keep away' act hadn't just been a time-waster like she had originally assumed, but also a distraction from his cruel and calculated final move. He was going to finish what he'd started…_

" _Hurry, Toothless,_ hurry _!"_

 _He was going after Hiccup…and all Astrid could do was pray that she and the Night Fury got to the boy before it was too late._

 **Chapter 18**

"Uuunnngggh…" Hiccup yet again stiffened his body against the rock he rested upon, another wave of discomfort washing over him as a concerned mew met his ears. "No, s'okay…'m alright, Sharpshot," the young man soothed the cat who sat near his feet. "S'just…just burns a bit."

Thankfully for him, it wasn't a lie. Toothless's saliva treatment had once more worked a miracle, transforming what would've otherwise surely been a fatal wound into a prickling, stinging nuisance. The poison, however, he knew was a different story…even as he spoke to Sharpshot he could feel a strange, numbing warmth spreading through his veins from the point of the arrow's entry – a slow, painless, yet _anything_ but harmless process. Hiccup swallowed thickly, feeling his feline friend nudge the toes of his boots as if sensing the danger his boy was in, to which he couldn't help but smile tremulously.

"Astrid's comin', Sharpshot…her 'n Toothless…they'll bring me the cure." The brunet exhaled deeply and evenly, relaxing his frame as best he could so as not to further worry his small companion. "Just gotta…"

Two sets of ears, one human and one animal, perked immediately at the high-pitched screech that tore through the air – the now unmistakable cry of a Night Fury. Hiccup's entire body tensed all over again as his mind began to play out scenario after scenario of what the sound meant…was Toothless attacking? Was he hurt? Was _Astrid_ hurt?

"GAH!" The young man's narrow back barely rose off the surface of the rock before slamming against it once more, his effort to lift himself into a sitting position hampered by a sharp twinge in his abdomen. Huffing and squeezing his eyes shut, he abandoned the attempt and reluctantly accepted that no matter what was going on, he would be more of a hindrance than a help to Astrid and Toothless if he tried to intervene. He could only lay still and hope to the gods that the two were currently winning rather than losing.

Not that it was an easy thing to do.

Hiccup's heart raced in his chest as he then heard a short, shrill whistle followed by an explosion…his best guess was that Toothless had just fired a shot, though he had no idea what kind of circumstance had elicited it. The boy's own nervous breathing seemed to drown out everything else in the forest until, minutes later, the sound of another blast echoed through the trees. His next inhale hitched into a gasp, and he had to fight the urge to try and sit up once more.

 _There's nothing you can do…Astrid's got this, her and Toothless can do this, they're strong, they'll be fine…_

Hiccup steadied his breathing once more and tried to calm his anxiety, knowing that the more wildly his heart pumped, the faster the poison would course through his bloodstream. There was no way he'd let Astrid go through the anguish of coming back from a victory over Viggo just to find him already gone…and victory _would_ belong to the girl he loved. He recited it again and again in his mind until the belief finally cemented deep into his entire being, allowing him to conquer his nerves just as surely as Astrid and Toothless would conquer Viggo.

 _They will…_

And as if to prove the strong faith that he had found in his love and his dragon friend, the clomping of heavy footsteps soon became audible, increasing in volume by the second until they were close enough for him to see the source. Smiling softly, Hiccup kept his back flat against the rock while turning his head to the side, his emerald eyes shimmering with adoration and gratitude as they prepared to meet the azure blues of Astrid, antidote in hand atop Toothless…

Only to subsequently widen in unbridled shock and horror as they were instead met with the dark glower of Viggo, saddled astride a horse with a deadly sharp longsword gleaming in his grip.

A bolt of fear burst through Hiccup's frame as the man promptly dismounted his steed and began to stalk forward in insensate rage. Picking up on the emotions, Sharpshot growled lowly and hissed in response, flexing his haunches and shooting toward the threat like a fluffy ball of fire…but the spirited orange cat was sadly no match for The Hunter.

" _NO_!" The youth could only watch and heartbrokenly cry out for his four-legged friend as Viggo, after sustaining a few fierce scratches, slung the little creature violently away by the scruff of the neck as though he were swatting a bug, his progress not slowed in the slightest.

"Worry about yourself, boy," he taunted with a predatory smirk, and Hiccup jolted…scared as he was for Sharpshot, it was just as frightfully clear to him that he needed to move – _NOW_!

Gritting his teeth, the young man summoned all his remaining strength to slide off the mossy rock he'd lain on for what felt like hours, landing roughly on his hands and knees. He instantly glanced up just in time to see Viggo suddenly upon him, forcing the brunet to rapidly have to throw himself to one side in order to dodge the swing of the man's weapon. Hiccup's long legs kicked at leaves and sticks in a frenzied attempt to find purchase, fingernails digging into the dirt to pull himself out of range and behind the nearest tree as Viggo's incensed shouts began to rain down on him like blows.

" _Useless_ … _worthless_ … _little_ … _twig_!" A mindless thrust of the Reaper chieftain's sword accompanied each insult, the blade slicing further into the bark shielding Hiccup until his former slave desperately staggered to another tree. "You've ruined _everything_!" Viggo continued to bellow. "My union with Astrid…her tribe's allegiance…the guarantee of an heir…all gone _thanks to you_!" He swung the sword especially hard into the trunk of the new tree Hiccup hid behind, infused with dark passion upon hearing the boy cry out as said trunk shattered into splinters, toppling the tree to one side. The lanky form fell backwards, successfully rolling away from the strike of the blade at the last second yet again and further infuriating his ex-master. "Even my fortress…a whole damn wing of it, reduced to cinders on _your_ behalf!"

Hiccup screamed as Viggo's weapon came hurtling down at him, nearly cutting the thick tree branch he had grabbed to use as a makeshift buffer completely in two. His arms struggling to absorb the shock, the young man flung the broken barrier away and scrambled back to his hands and knees, crawling away from his assailant as fast as his overtaxed body could manage and flattening himself as the sword whooshed through the air, passing just a hair's breadth above where his head had been a split-second prior. His wound burned more intensely now, and he could only hope through the chaos that the stitches Astrid had sewed into him hadn't ruptured.

"I should've done away with you _years_ ago…murdered you the very day you first displayed defiance _regardless_ of my need for an heir," Viggo snarled. "Stabbed the sass right out of you with the same knife I used to kill your mother!"

The blade scored the soil in a long line mere inches from Hiccup's neck, and the boy flinched as a resulting spray of particles and pebbles hit the exposed skin of his left shoulder. He rolled away once more as soon as he heard the rasp of the sword being dislodged, uncertain how much longer his luck in avoiding being struck would hold out.

"No matter, though," The Hunter breathed heavily, cooling his temper as he realized his mad swings were getting him nowhere. "I will rectify that mistake here and now. After all…" he grinned deviously, "your depleted body can't run from me much longer. Can it?"

As desperately as he wanted to, Hiccup couldn't deny Viggo's arrogant claim through the harsh pants wracking his body. The world spun in a dizzying haze around him as he strained to get up, his surroundings appearing as if he was viewing them through water and his muscles feeling equally liquid and limp. He coughed, grains of sand and soil irritating his throat, smudges of dirt and scrapes covering his clothes and skin from how many times he had been required to drop.

Viggo shook his head in mock-pity at the boy's battered form. "Just as I thought," he sneered. "My only regret is that I didn't add an extra ingredient to my toxic concoction…something that would eat away at your insides as it spread, being that I would've rather seen you spend your last moments writhing in agony than flopping around like a beached fish…but I'll soon enough have my consolation."

Hiccup gasped out a choked breath as The Hunter literally kicked him while he was down, the toe of his boot ramming itself between the youth's shoulder blades and depositing him harshly onto the ground.

"Because I'll instead see your girlfriend _screaming_ in agony, once she's seen what's become of you…once she has to retrieve all that's left of you _piece by bloody piece_ ," Viggo coldly belittled as he raised his sword. "And then…I'll put _her_ out of her misery, as well, and raze her pathetic home island to the gr _aaaaggh_!"

The Reaper chief's gloating rant was cut sorely short as a jarring, blistering force – accompanied by a piercing shriek – ripped through the air to knock his weapon straight out of his grasp…and spooked his horse well out of sticking around for even a second longer. He yelled again in outrage and pain as the animal galloped away, much more concerned with how the intense heat of the blast had not only rendered his sword useless by melting the majority of its steel, but also with how it had partially seared his hand. Holding the injured appendage to his chest, Viggo glowered into the glacial blue eyes he knew he'd see glaring right back…chagrined to feel a chill shoot through him at the amount of sheer wrath visible within them _and_ the neon greens of the dragon she rode in on.

"Give me _one_. _Good_. _Reason,_ " Astrid fumed as she dismounted Toothless, an echo of Viggo's earlier words delivered just as sharp as the axe she wielded. "One good reason that I – _or he_ ," she added with a hand on Toothless's smoking snout, "shouldn't kill you where you stand!" Hope flickered alongside the conflagration of anger in her chest when silence and staring were the only answers…she had never seen the man look so rattled.

But unfortunately, such unease never lasted long in a warlord like Viggo Grimborn.

"How about _two_ ," the cruel chieftain smiled, jerking a pair of bolas from underneath his cloak in the blink of an eye and whipping them toward the Night Fury. Toothless had no time to react before his legs and mouth were unexpectedly ensnared by the weighted ropes, incapacitating the dragon efficiently enough for Viggo to pull a large dagger from his belt and lunge at a gob smacked Astrid. "I came prepared, dearest!" he boasted as his blade met hers, locking the bitter exes in final, hand-to-hand combat. "Can the same be said for you?"

The blonde was given little room to reply as Viggo continued his assault, pushing against her axe in an attempt to dislodge it from her hold until she drove her boot viciously into his kneecap. A brief grunt of pain and staggered steps were all she was afforded before her opponent was on the prowl again, but it had been sufficient enough for her to orient herself and recover from the sneak attack. "I'm _more_ than ready, you pompous, murderous bastard!" she fired back, meeting him now on even footing with moves of her own.

"And there's that spunk I so came to hate," Viggo laughed as he parried levelly with the girl, smirking as he saw a flash of green fabric and sunlit copper out of the corner of his eye. "How fitting that after all the grief you and your little boyfriend over there have put me through, it should end with the two of us fighting to the death and him watching! Or…" He wedged his long knife against her axe. "Maybe I'll simply maim you…and _you_ can watch instead as I gut him from neck to navel."

A surge of outrage flooded Astrid's being at the grisly threat to her beloved, energizing her muscles enough to give Viggo a mighty shove backwards, his dagger lowering as he fought to rebalance himself. She stole a glance at Hiccup with the reprieve, finding that he had mustered enough strength to quietly crawl his way past them and over to Toothless to work at the dragon's bonds, using some sort of tool – she couldn't see exactly what – that he'd picked up from the ground to do so. Bent on keeping Viggo's attention away from the young man, she turned back to face her adversary just as his eyes again met hers. "No," she firmly asserted. "Like you said before…this comes down to just the two of us."

"Very well," Viggo flatly acquiesced. "I'll just take my time killing the boy after you're permanently _out of the way_!" he declared as he charged at her.

"Or maybe he and I will get off this gods-forsaken island once _you_ are!" Astrid retorted, trading verbal blows along with physical ones as they clashed once more. Sweat rolled down her back and neck as the clangs of metal echoed through the woods. She was considered to be as good as a shield-maiden, of that there was no doubt…but she was much younger, lighter, and less experienced than Viggo just the same.

It was only inevitable that those regrettable facts would catch up to her.

Blue eyes squeezed shut in pain, Astrid's hand flying to clutch her upper arm as Viggo's blade sliced across the skin there. There had been no defense against the swing, nor was there one against the following volley of stabs other than for her to promptly dive to the side. The blonde struggled to regain her equilibrium and her stance, providing her enemy with an opening of which he took instantaneous advantage.

" _NOOO_!" Hiccup's blurted, instinctive cry drew all eyes toward him, unable to be repressed at the sight of Astrid suddenly being disarmed, axe flying from her grasp. Viggo smiled wickedly into the wide emerald orbs as if just remembering his former slave's existence, and the boy found himself fervently wishing his task could go _much_ faster as he looked away and resumed the vigorous motion of his hands.

Irritated at the way the youth's back blocked whatever activity he was engaged in from view, the Reaper chieftain switched his focus from the blonde lovebird to the brunet…causing the former to rush between them in panic through her pain.

" _NO,_ leave him alone, it's me you—"

He didn't allow the girl to finish her plea, cutting it off with a vicious backhanded slap to her incessantly insolent mouth. The force was enough to knock Astrid backwards against a thick tree, her head impacting prior to her body and leaving her in a daze, at which Viggo grinned triumphantly before continuing on his lethal path toward the boy she loved.

"End of the line, _baby brother_ ," the man mocked as he closed the distance, his dagger clutched tightly in his hand. "There will be no more escapes for you…no more miracles." He came to tower over the frantically fidgeting young man at the words, still unable to see what occupied his hands but no longer caring as he raised his knife over the boy's bared, entirely vulnerable upper back. "Your warrior princess and winged demon can't save you this time, you _WORTHLESS LITTLE WH—_ "

The final insult died on the tip of Viggo's tongue, the man having been completely unprepared for the way Hiccup had whipped around and brought his hands up in a flash. The object the boy held with a white-knuckled grip was now fully revealed, and The Hunter could only stare down in silent surprise at the bloodstained, broken shaft sticking out of his abdomen, the poisoned arrowhead still attached. Vaguely, he realized the brunet had been using it to try and saw through the ropes disabling the dragon – and gods only knew how the young man had found the thing – but it didn't matter to Viggo anymore one way or the other.

Now, the toxic tool pierced _him_ instead…and ironically, it did so in approximately the same area it had pierced his former slave.

His might curbed, the Reaper chieftain winced as he looked into the eyes of the boy he had so brutally abused for nearly all his young life. Hiccup's jade orbs were initially wide with shock and what almost appeared to be apology before they slowly began to harden, icy as Viggo had ever seen them…and all at once the madman came to the harrowing realization that, in the end, his limitless cruelty had only led to his own defeat and demise at the hands of his victim – now turned victor.

"You're right," the young man ground out, fists still clenched around the arrow's shaft as he glared into his tormentor's soulless eyes. "This time, _I'll_ save myself _and_ them instead!" Adrenaline swelling like never before, he easily rose to his full height taking Viggo with him, maintaining his impassioned green stare. "And my name, by the way…" he stated, bracing one hand against the older man's chest and keeping the other wrapped firmly around the rod that impaled him, "…is _HICCUP_!"

The former slave gave his ex-master a solid shove to the ground upon the emphatic, finishing shout, painfully extricating the arrowhead from Viggo's stomach and then slinging it violently out of sight as the man writhed at his feet. The energy leaving him just as rapidly as it had come to him, Hiccup then started to list and wobble on suddenly rubbery legs…

…and was promptly caught in the supportive arms of a recovered Astrid. The blonde held the boy against her with one hand, using the other one to quickly remove the flask from her belt pouch before uncorking it with her teeth. She only paused in her task in order to spit the cork at Viggo with a pointed look to the fallen man, holding his glare even as she pressed the bottle's opening to Hiccup's lips and tipped the entire contents down his throat.

Her whole body seemed to sag with relief just as his did…finally, it was over. The antidote was now working securely within Hiccup's system, taken in a large enough quantity that it would get into his bloodstream and counter the slow-moving toxin before it could spread any further.

Viggo, on the contrary, would not be so lucky…and she couldn't have cared less.

"M-maybe we should check that and see if there's extra in it, there might still be…"

The ever-conscientious Hiccup, however, couldn't bring himself to _not_ care, and Astrid shook her head in fond exasperation as she flung the totally empty vial away from them. "You're just too good for your own good, you know that, babe?" the young woman sighed lovingly as she sat the still recuperating boy down on a flat-topped rock. Her azure gaze then hardened exponentially as she turned to Viggo. "The man made his own deathbed…" she sternly decreed as she stepped over the chieftain's bleeding form to Toothless and began to slice through the dragon's bonds using her recovered axe. "Now he has to lie in it."

Her proclamation made, she cut the last of the ropes and watched as Toothless sprang to life, immediately positioning himself between Hiccup and his boy's downed torturer. The Night Fury ferociously growled at the older man as gas built in his throat, pupils slit and long tail curled protectively around the rock on which Hiccup sat.

But Viggo only glowered harder in response, and Astrid could suddenly see his silent decision being made before anyone else…the man would choose a quick death over the prolonged one he'd intended for his former slave and make a final, if futile, threat against the boy in the process.

The young woman rushed forward, reaching Hiccup just as Viggo lunged up from his prostrate position toward Toothless – his mad, empty stare only on the boy he once controlled and his dagger reared back to hurl at him. With the embrace of her own body, Astrid was able to shield Hiccup's innocent eyes just in time from the bright blue-violet ball of light that shot forth from Toothless's mouth, the superheated blast first hitting and incinerating the thrown knife…and then going on to strike the horrid, heartless Hunter who was literally behind the throw.

A blast that the man had counted on, Astrid suspected, to end his own suffering.

Her blue orbs only glanced once at the smoking corpse before she finally turned away from Viggo Grimborn for good, still hugging Hiccup tightly to her as she walked him clear of the carnage. She smirked to herself as Toothless paused, giving one last indignant snort to The Hunter's remains before following after them like the loyal friend he'd continually proven himself to be. The dragon caught up briefly to give a targeted, healing lick to the shallow laceration Astrid had sustained on her upper arm, then fell back to keep trailing his humans supportively.

When Astrid deemed them all far enough from the gruesome scene, she abruptly stopped walking and slowly, gently took Hiccup into her arms, simply holding the boy she'd come to treasure with all her heart close, leaning her head against his chest and hearing his own heart beat steadily into her ear. A small shiver wracked her as the fingers of her left hand, pressed carefully to his lower back, brushed a stiffened spot of fabric still stained with dried blood. But her other hand rested against his upper back, soaking in the warmth of the bare skin beneath it and reminding her that he was healing inside and out.

It was all over. Well and truly all over.

Her legs nearly buckled in shock at the truth, but she never hit the ground as Hiccup swiftly slid his arms securely around her in turn. He breathed in deeply and evenly, Astrid doing the same as they surrounded each other, every sense filled with bliss…both silently reveling in the blessed fact that, by the grace of the gods, they hadn't lost the one they loved.

And that they were finally, indisputably free from everything that had ever held them captive.

Hiccup smiled softly into Astrid's ocean blue eyes as they pulled away after another quiet minute, the grin only widening when he looked down to see a tiny, wet nose nudging him just above his ankles. "Sharpshot!" he exclaimed joyfully as he scooped up the little orange cat into a relieved hug. "You're okay! Oh gosh, I was so worried!" The feline purred in contentment as Hiccup held him to his chest, Astrid also giving him a happy scratch behind the ears.

The young woman couldn't help the smile that spread across her own face as she looked into the boy's sparkling emerald orbs, the words she had been waiting for so long to say easily passing her lips. "So…ready to go home?"

Hiccup beamed brightly, now fully confident in himself as he gave his sincere reply. "Home is wherever you are, milady," he winked, and Astrid found herself overcome with the desire to lean in for a kiss…

Only to have a playful Toothless pop up directly between them, coating Hiccup's face with a fine layer of slobber and then turning to do the same to her, tongue hanging out goofily. Sharpshot shook off the spit that dripped from Hiccup's chin onto his furry head, and the boy laughed before wiping an arm across his face and then throwing it around the cheerful Night Fury's neck.

"Yeah, yeah…you and this useless reptile, too!" he amended with a mock eye roll, and Astrid echoed his laugh with an affectionate ruffle of his auburn mop.

"You know it, babe," she grinned, and together the blonde and the brunet climbed atop their dragon companion's back, Hiccup holding tightly to Sharpshot while Astrid held tightly to him. A nod from them both was all it took before Toothless swiftly transported them back through the forest on foot, pausing only long enough for Astrid to retrieve and secure the rest of her belongings before he then rocketed into the sky, headed toward Berk and the young couple's finally fulfilled promise of a new, wonderful life together.

TBC…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: Aaaaaaaaaand…EXHALE! You've done it, you made it through the big climactic finale…and so did our hero and heroine and their four-legged pals! While Viggo, eh…not so fortunate, heh. But in my book – which is technically exactly what this is, haha – that's what you get for messing with true love and friendship! And, let's be honest…it really couldn't have happened to a MEANER man – checkmate THAT, oh great game master! ;-)

I know there were several of you that probably, hopefully _greatly_ enjoyed seeing Viggo finally get his comeuppance for so much evil, and I also hope all of you were happy to see an ending that was, well…happy! Not nearly enough of that in the real world if you ask me, so…there you have it! Taking characters I love to the brink of trauma and tragedy…and then bringing them back in one piece from it, alive to start anew! That's how I roll.

So sit back and relax, now, my readers…all is finally well, and only the epilogue to follow. See you back one more time for it on Thursday, and then…*typing this while holding back a flood of tears*…well, this story will be a wrap! *dives for a tissue box*

-PWK


	20. Chapter 20

DISCLAIMER: So out of curiosity, who all out there has even been reading these things all this time, ha! Sigh…I can only just dully say one more time that I don't own the rights to HTTYD, as my 'creative disclaimer' well has finally run dry…must've been a Whispering Death. ;-)

SPOILERS: This fic is considerably AU, so none except a few already widely-known aspects of plot and characters are involved.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

 **Boundless**

PREVIOUSLY: _"Yeah, yeah…you and this useless reptile, too!" he amended with a mock eye roll, and Astrid echoed his laugh with an affectionate ruffle of his auburn mop._

" _You know it, babe," she grinned, and together the blonde and the brunet climbed atop their dragon companion's back, Hiccup holding tightly to Sharpshot while Astrid held tightly to him. A nod from them both was all it took before Toothless swiftly transported them back through the forest on foot, pausing only long enough for Astrid to retrieve and secure the rest of her belongings before he then rocketed into the sky, headed toward Berk and the young couple's finally fulfilled promise of a new, wonderful life together._

 **Epilogue**

Much had changed in the several months – approaching nearly a year – since Astrid and Hiccup had freed each other from their respective forms of captivity at the hands of Viggo Grimborn…and miraculously all for the better after so much heartache.

But, like all journeys with a destination worth waiting for, none of it had exactly occurred in the blink of an eye…and neither had the young couple's journey home.

They had been only too happy, of course, to finally put Reaper Island – and all the horrors its inhabitants had wrought – behind them, and they did so as fast as Toothless's wings could carry them. After a couple of hours in the air, though, it could no longer be ignored that Hiccup was maybe not quite up for a nonstop flight. Her grip around his midsection tight, Astrid could feel every shudder of his muscles and every slight list his weakened body made…and after one too many of them, she'd firmly informed Toothless that he needed to land as soon as possible – despite Hiccup's numerous, insistent protests that he was "fine". Several more minutes had gone by before the Night Fury found an ideal spot for all of them to rest, the unoccupied dot of land in the middle of the ocean thankfully at least large enough to boast some areas of lush green, rather than just the unforgiving hard rock of most sea stacks.

It was amidst this vegetation that the dragon had landed, and it was here that Astrid had helped Hiccup better recover from his blood loss, searching out a source of fresh water – which came in the form of a small babbling brook recently refilled by clean rain – and then leading him to it so he could replenish the fluids his body needed. Toothless had participated in the recuperation efforts as well by diving underneath the ocean waves until he was able to snag a large fish by its tail, promptly returning it to the female human so that she could prepare it in a way that was more edible for her and her mate. And while the blonde did so knowing that she'd never been the best of cooks, it had been good enough to tide her over and – more importantly – to aid Hiccup further in regaining more of his strength. The day had ended with Astrid spreading out a quilt pulled from amongst her personal belongings, the soft woven material providing a pleasant cushion for her and Hiccup to lay upon as the boy's eyelids began to grow heavy. Pulling him close, she'd stroked his hair and hummed a nameless lullaby she'd heard from her mother, already feeling like she'd come home – despite the many miles between them and Berk – as her beloved fell into a gentle, healing sleep safe in her arms.

Sunrise had found them all refreshed and ready to go again, and this time they had gone until their final destination was in sight…nearly exactly a full forty-eight hours after they'd left Reaper Island. But upon arrival to Berk, the dawning of a new issue had become immediately apparent and vitally important – what to do with Toothless. Fearful that someone's eagle eye would spot a dragon on the horizon in a timely enough manner for the Hooligan Tribe to take arms against them, the cautious couple rather quickly decided not to take such an upfront approach. That determined, Astrid had directed them to Raven's Point, just beyond which lay Berk's own tranquil little cove which she knew could serve as a perfect, comfortable hiding spot for the Night Fury. Hiccup had instructed Toothless to stay put, and the faithful dragon had obeyed in knowledge that his human friends knew what was best for him – especially on an entirely human-populated island.

From there, it had been just a manageable walk through the forest for Hiccup and Astrid – with Sharpshot in tow – to the village she hadn't seen in far too long. The blonde found herself thanking the gods when the first people they encountered had happened to be two of her friends – the crazy yet well-meaning Thorston twins, out for a riotous round of yak-tipping. Tuffnut had practically ran circles around her, whooping and hollering that the chief's daughter had returned, while Ruffnut had stood there with her mouth gaping like a fish, stare locked on what had to be the most attractive boy she had ever seen grace their humble heap of wet rock. It was only when a flirty gleam and sly smile began to creep onto the female sibling's countenance that Astrid had decisively shooed both twins off, ordering them to find her parents and have them meet her at the village's edge.

Mere minutes later, rapid sets of footsteps preceded the harried arrivals of Argo and Enid Hofferson. The blue eyes of the Hooligan chief and his wife had been wide with shock as they met those of their daughter…their precious girl that they had never expected to see again so soon, and certainly not bearing such a happy grin.

" _Hey, Dad…Mom. I'm home again,"_ she had whispered, and that had been all it took before her parents had come rushing forward to engulf her in warm, infinitely relieved embraces. After tears of joy had been shed on both sides, questions had naturally arisen…where was Viggo, how had she gotten away from him, why were her clothes ripped and bloody, was the island in any danger…and was she home to stay. Astrid had patiently answered them all with satisfactory responses – although some of them involved necessary lies and fabrications for Toothless's sake – and they had shared more happy hugs and smiles before their daughter had broken away to coax something – or some _one_ – from the shadows behind one of the buildings.

The older Hoffersons had stared in silent surprise and curiosity upon seeing a young man with a mop of reddish-brown hair, stunningly green eyes, and a tall, slim frame step into view with his hand clutched tightly in Astrid's, clothes just as torn and bloodstained as hers were. Hiccup had been tense with apprehension as she'd then summarily introduced him to her parents, his gaze falling nervously to the ground before he had ultimately remembered Astrid's lessons about eye contact in the days that they'd first come to know each other. He'd peeked shyly up then through his bangs, looking into the azure orbs of both the chief and his wife – so similar to Astrid's that it had put him at greater ease – and given them a small, sincere smile as his beloved started to tell their story…again omitting any parts concerning their reptilian friend, of course.

The elder couple's uncertain demeanors had steadily begun to thaw as their daughter fleshed out the details, finding it impossible to ignore all the love her expression held every time she had stolen a glance at the boy. And when she had finally finished the incredible tale, the way the brunet had bowed to them respectfully and earnestly – letting them know that it was a great honor to finally meet them – had broken any ice that remained. The young man had been a hero and blessing to their daughter just as she had been those things to him, and with that in mind – let alone those big emerald eyes gazing with such openness and kindness into theirs – Argo and Enid Hofferson had officially and warmly welcomed Hiccup to the Isle of Berk with, respectively, a solid handshake and a grateful hug.

The young couple had then been escorted back to the chief's house – fending off inquisitive onlookers and excited shouts the whole way – where they'd both had their wounds professionally checked over by the village healer Gothi…who, if she'd detected any dragon saliva during the examinations, had thankfully stayed as mute about the discovery as she stayed in day-to-day life. Much to the youths' further relief, they were allowed after that to clean themselves up and change into fresh clothes, with Hiccup having been given new ones that actually belonged to Astrid's older brother. The garments had been a bit too big for the slighter male, of course, but still better than his bloodied, torn light green tunic which Enid had immediately dropped off to one of the village's best seamstresses – her good friend Valka Haddock – to be washed and mended if salvageable. She had returned to then prepare a hearty meal for her daughter, Hiccup, and even the boy's little orange cat, which the trio had happily partaken of to the delight of their nearly empty stomachs.

Later that evening, Argo had done his own part by calling a village meeting in the Great Hall, praising the safe return of his daughter as well as the boy who had such a crucial part in it. Hiccup had blushed bashfully as the chief's audience cheered him, the red only spreading at the interspersed wolf-whistles and catcalls from an assortment of rather bawdy ladies – Ruffnut naturally included. Furious, all-encompassing glares from both Astrid and her mother, though, had quickly put an end to such brazenness. It had easily become clear to any and all watching that the Hofferson girl had won the boy's heart, and that the feeling was entirely mutual. Even Astrid's protective older brother Erik had relaxed his guard after meeting Hiccup for himself, and his jubilant applause had joined that of the crowd – save for one malcontent that neither surprised nor concerned anyone – when Argo had offered the former slave a home and citizenship on Berk…which Hiccup had accepted with a dizzying mixture of awe, elation, and another solid shake of the Hooligan chieftain's hand.

As Astrid had expected might happen, her father's right-hand man and confidant, Stoick Haddock, had offered to temporarily accommodate the newcomer in the spare room of his home until something more permanent could be arranged…but to the young blonde's great satisfaction, that had turned out to never be necessary. The giant of a man and his caring wife had rapidly taken a shine to the orphaned boy, and within weeks, Hiccup had become to them like the son they'd never been able to have – a perfect mix of Stoick's steadfastness and Valka's kindness in the way he tackled problems and interacted with others…not to mention even remarkably similar to them in appearance with his auburn hair, green eyes, and a slender frame akin to Valka's.

By the time a month had gone by, the Haddocks had drawn up plans to extend upon the spare room and provide a more adequate living space for the young man and his feline, a project that was easily achieved in the span of the following month with the help of Stoick's lifelong pal Gobber, who was also the village blacksmith and often oversaw construction of buildings. Hiccup, however, had assisted them as well, displaying impressive intelligence along with an immense talent for drawing and inventing…all of which had soon enough landed him a steady apprenticeship and job in Gobber's forge.

It was through this procured position that Hiccup had also become more familiarized with Astrid's friends, leading to him and Fishlegs bonding over their mutually geeky sides and the twins being thrilled by all of his crazy ideas and contraptions. Beefy and prideful Snotlout had been a tougher convert, though, reluctant to accept the fact that he had lost his original _dream girl_ – an unwanted distinction that Astrid had suffered through ever since her childhood – to the lanky new kid in town…but resentment had eventually been replaced by respect the better he got to know Hiccup, and ultimately even reverence once the younger man had introduced him to a mighty Monstrous Nightmare dragon, which Snotlout came to christen as Hookfang.

But just a little before Hookfang, there had been Barf and Belch, the twins' two-headed Hideous Zippleback.

And along with Barf and Belch had come Meatlug, the sweet-tempered Gronckle belonging to Fishlegs.

Stormfly, however, had come before all of them – a lovely, light blue Deadly Nadder that was as perfect for Astrid in personality as she was in looks. Their friendship had been cemented quickly and deeply…

But it would never compare, of course, to the unbreakable bond shared between Hiccup and Toothless…the latter being the first dragon in history to peacefully set foot in the Hooligan village, and the former being the first ever dragon rider and trainer.

The ex-slave and the chief's daughter had decided to reveal their biggest secret and the final, integral part of their story to Valka first – no more than a week into their arrival – as the unconventional woman had always been rather sympathetic toward dragons. It had turned out to be a wise choice as she not only didn't rat them out, but even ended up accompanying them when they snuck off on their daily visits to Toothless in the cove, easily establishing her own camaraderie with the Night Fury as well.

The following week, Valka had confided in her good friend Enid, and together at the end of the first month of Astrid's return, she and the two matriarchs had confronted Argo and Stoick with the truth about Toothless while Hiccup had gone to fetch his faithful dragon. The chief and his second-in-command had been unsurprisingly incredulous at first; when Astrid had said that she and Hiccup "hitched a ride" to escape Reaper Island, it was a hospitable _ship_ that both men had pictured…certainly not a hospitable _beast_ if there were such a thing!

But upon meeting Toothless – who obligingly retracted his teeth to initially better live up to his name – with Hiccup safely on his back, the fact that good dragons did indeed exist had ultimately become impossible to deny. Another town meeting had been called in which he and Astrid were first granted permission to shelter Toothless in the cove without fear of molestation…an allowance that, with more conferences, gradually extended into allowing him into the village within another month and finally even into Stoick and Valka's house – much to the joy of Hiccup. It was soon after he had become such a fixture in the village that the Night Fury set out on an unknown journey, and his best human friend along with Astrid had just started to worry that they'd never see him again when he had finally returned, several days later…but with a fellow, scaly companion in tow.

That companion had been Stormfly, drawn out of the mass hiding that all of dragonkind had imposed upon themselves for their own good – save for Toothless and a few others here and there – by the promise of something _better_. And Berk had indeed proven to be better – for both humans and the dragons that chose to emerge alike – as two species that had once hated and warred against one another eventually learned to live in a sizeable measure of harmony and affability…all thanks to Hiccup and Astrid.

It was also because of the tireless efforts of the young couple that there were no more slaves on Reaper Island…a long process that had – with the political and more professional help of Argo and Stoick – finally come to full fruition. Berkian delegates that were hand-selected by the chief had seen to it that they were all settled in new locations, with the ex-slaves themselves making the final decisions on where they wanted to go. A few had chosen Berk and were welcomed there, others had chosen the Peaceable Isles where they were also welcomed, and some had even chosen to make new lives on the mainland. Hiccup, in particular, had been exceptionally instrumental in his advocacy to free the less fortunate, and the Hooligan chieftain and his wife couldn't have been more impressed by the huge heart their daughter's beloved had – completely sure of the likelihood and content with the knowledge that _this_ would be the boy she would one day marry, _especially_ rather than Viggo.

And as for the horrid man's tribe itself…things hadn't fared so well. Astrid had wasted no time in informing her father of Viggo's sixteen-year charade in passing off Hiccup as his younger brother, and while the Berkian leader in no way blamed the boy, he had been absolutely livid with outrage at the deceit wrought by his late fellow chief. So had other tribal rulers once word had gotten out further – particularly Dagur the Deranged when he'd learned his name had been forged in a fake summons – and between numerous threats of war and the state of flux and anarchy Viggo's death had left them in, the once powerhouse warmongering Reaper Tribe ended up as a shell of itself, giving leeway for the newly more influential Hooligan Tribe to do said work in liberating the slaves. Inevitably and _especially_ after losing their subjugated workforce, the increasingly floundering group didn't last much longer before it dissolved into ultimate nonexistence…with Scythe and his flunky Mort having been the last to leave the island's shores.

By the time Astrid and Hiccup had visited mere weeks ago on the backs of Stormfly and Toothless, Viggo Grimborn's once proud village lay in ruins. His fortress had been razed to the ground as a final purging of evil from the island, the rest of the buildings abandoned to nature and its elements which had already started to take over. It had been nearly a year of hard work, but it was at last ensured that the Reaper name would only go down as a blight in history, with all that remained of Hiccup and Astrid's captors reduced to a painful – but essentially _triumphant_ – memory…

For it was in the midst of that pain and suffering that they had found each other.

"Yeeeeeeeeeeeah, _baby_!"

And it was alongside each other that they now soared through the clouds, on one of Berk's warmest and sunniest days.

"Haha!" Astrid chortled genuinely, shaking her head in fond amusement at Hiccup's antics as he and Toothless rocketed past her and Stormfly. Blessed with such unusually beautiful weather, she had shed the shoulder and arm guards from her customary attire in order to better enjoy the warm rays against her skin. She was also able to better enjoy riding her dragon, she mused, ever since the addition of the custom-made saddles that Hiccup had crafted for all of the riders.

Stormfly caught up to the boys soon enough as Toothless had stopped to hover just front of them, and Astrid took advantage of the calm moment to drink in the sight of her beloved. He wore a new light green tunic and dark green leggings, an improved version of his old outfit that had been created by Valka's magical seamstress touch. Swirling golden embroidery edged his sleeve openings and neckline instead of frayed fabric, with a belt and lacings made of fine tan leather rather than scratchy burlap and twine – making him look more like the appreciated Berkian citizen he now was rather than the abused slave he had once been. The handsome new duds hadn't come with a new 'do, though…his hair was still the same wavy, wild auburn mop that Astrid loved, her two little braids ever present behind his right ear just the way she'd always ensure they'd be.

Feeling suddenly mischievous, the blonde looped around on Stormfly until she hung upside down, close enough to Hiccup to reach her hand down and give one of the tiny plaits an impish, attention-grabbing tug. He looked up with an adorable gap-toothed grin in response, and Astrid couldn't have fought the next urge that came over her if she'd tried.

But there was no reason, of course, for any such effort… she was entirely, hopelessly, irrefutably, and one-hundred percent _shamelessly_ soft _and_ sweet on that boy. She wouldn't have it any other way.

And so it was with zero resistance that – with her upper body still dangling from Stormfly – she stretched her neck down just as he tilted his face up, allowing their lips to meet in a deep, mid-flight kiss that left them both nearly breathless with profound affection and contentment.

Her need sated, Astrid then righted herself and her dragon before giving Hiccup a playful smirk. "Race ya home, babe!" she challenged with a wink, the Deadly Nadder she rode obediently jetting forward with the Night Fury following closely behind.

"You're on, milady!" the brunet boy called back in acceptance, and another fun competition was subsequently begun between the two youths whose hearts would only ever belong to each other, no longer prisoners to darkness thanks to the brilliant light of the boundless love that they shared.

-o-o-o-o-o-END-o-o-o-o-o-

A/N: Wow. YOU GUYS…just, ah, give me a moment…it's always a little surreal when something you've worked on for months upon months is finally done and dusted!

But done it is.

To be honest, I typed the last sentence in this story sometime 'round about December of last year, then I added the disclaimers and author's notes, THEN I proofread it – oh, I dunno…at least once a week every week up until the last week of THIS APRIL, and _then_ sat on it for another couple of weeks before taking the plunge and posting. *sheepish grin* Insane? Possibly (but only the fun kind). Insanely perfectionist when it comes to making art of any sort? DEFINITELY.

But, there you have it, my fellow Dragonites! I really hope you enjoyed my first foray into this fandom's fanfic (whoa, too alliterative?), because I most certainly enjoyed the journey and I absolutely don't plan for it to be my last. Actually, well um…don't look now, but…I kinda get the impression a lot of you may be thrilled to know that this story just might, one day…*dramatic drum roll*… _have a sequel_. *cymbals crash*

Aha, YES INDEED, you read that right…in fact, I even have a rough outline for it already jotted down –just please keep in mind, though, that it will of course take some time to complete. I am _far_ from the fastest of writers – it's one reason why I wait till my fics are entirely written before I start posting them! – and there are still a lot of blanks to fill in. BUT, I do have the main idea as well as how it will begin pretty firmly in mind – there was a quick hint dropped in this epilogue for any who want to go back and play detective! – and while I certainly can't guarantee a release date right now…I can definitely assure you that I'll try to work on it as much as possible in the near future.

In the meantime, I also have a couple of ideas for shorter episode tags/what-ifs that are set in the RTTE universe…particularly Season 4 which was AMAZING! So I hope y'all will come back for those as they come.

For now, though, my sincerest thanks to all of you who read, favorited, followed and reviewed! I really had no idea I would get such enthusiastic feedback, that so many of you would love the story to the degree that you do, and that makes it so bittersweet to finally wrap it all up…the teary-eyed sniffles are no lie! But it sure has been a real blast – one that any dragon would be proud of – for me to bring this not-so-little fantasy AU of mine to life, and even more fun to share it with readers who share in the HTTYD-love.

And just to give a heads-up, I'll be leaving for a camping vacation this weekend, and even right now I'm fighting to post this amidst packing madness, LOL – so if I take a while to respond to your final reviews, that's why! No internet where we're going, haha. But I'll be back and catch up with y'all then…and I'll be back as a writer, as well!

So stay awesome, friends… _till we meet again next fic!_ :-D

-PsychicWonderKitty


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